Caramelized Shallot & Fig Jam

jam session...

I'm not sure if I can convince you that this is a dessert, but it is a sweet treat, and in France would be served along side cheeses and breads apres (after in French) dinner. So, I'm going to count it (my blog, my rules)! Now that we've gotten that out of the way let's talk about this pretty purple jam.

It's really quite a simple recipe, requiring only butter, shallots, figs, red wine, salt, and sugar. What makes it so good is the time taken to develop each layer of flavor. First, you give the shallots plenty of time to caramelize in the butter. Then, you reduce the wine and infuse that flavor into the figs. Finally, you sweeten the deal by adding the sugar and allowing that to cook down into a syrupy, jammy consistency. So, if you have the time, try out this recipe...

Ingredients - Makes ~16 oz.
2 T Unsalted Butter
3-4 Shallots (~1 C), thinly sliced
10 oz. Dried Black Mission Figs, stemmed & halved
2 C Dry Red Wine
Pinch Kosher Salt
1 C Granulated Sugar
To Serve: Buttery croissants, biscuits, and/or bread

Directions

Melt the butter in a medium sauce pan over low heat. Add the sliced shallots and cook until soft and caramelized, 20-25 minutes.

Next, add the wine to deglaze the pan. Add the figs and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer. Cook until the figs absorb most of the wine and become plump and soft, about 20 minutes.

Then, smash the figs with the back of a wooden spoon to break them up a bit. Stir in the sugar and cook an additional 20-25 minutes over low heat, or until the desired jam consistency is met. Cool and store. Serve with any buttery bread; I suggest croissants or biscuits. Bon appetit!