Greek Figs in a Blanket
Who needs pigs in a blanket when you can have figs in a blanket!? Here’s a great holiday or festive dish, perfect to serve when company arrives. Try it with the delicious succulent dried figs from northern Evia, available here.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons Greek red wine vinegar such as agiorgitiko or Greek honey vinegar
- 3 tablespoons Greek honey
- 3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 24 dried Greek figs stems trimmed, halved
- 1 large egg
- 1 (14- or 17-ounce) box of puff pastry (preferably all-butter puff), thawed according to package directions
- All-purpose flour (for surface)
- 3 ounces / 100 g Greek feta
- 4 ounces/120 g plain goat cheese or cream cheese
- 2 tablespoons dried Greek oregano
- 6 tablespoons shelled Aegina pistachios finely ground in a food processor
Instructions
-
Arrange racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 400°F/200°C. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
-
Stir vinegar, honey, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, and 1 cup water in a medium pot. Add the halved figs and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until figs are softened and liquid has almost evaporated and is thick and syrupy, 7–10 minutes. Transfer figs to a plate; let cool.
-
In a separate bowl, combine the feta, cream cheese or goat cheese and oregano with a fork.
-
Beat egg with 1 Tbsp. water in a small bowl. Roll each sheet of puff pastry to a 12x9" rectangle. Cut pastry along the 12" side into 12 (1-inch-wide) strips. Cut each strip crosswise into pieces about 4 1/2" long. You should have 48 (4 1/2x1") strips pastry.
-
Scoop a heaping 1/2 tsp. of cheese mixture into cut side of 1 fig half and press so that it adheres. Place fig half in the center of 1 pastry strip. Brush 1 end of pastry with egg wash and roll to enclose. Transfer seam side down to prepared sheet. Repeat with remaining cheese, figs, and pastry. Brush top of each pastry with egg wash and sprinkle with crushed pistachios.
-
Bake pastries, rotating and switching sheets top to bottom halfway through, until golden brown and puffed, 15–18 minutes.
Notes
You can cook the figs 2 days ahead, cover and chill.
