Chocolate Almond Figs with Chocolate Labne Crémeux & Port Wine Sauce

from Chef Rose Johnson of Private Chefs of the SF Bay

Chef Andrea Lawson Gray is a longtime friend of ours in the SF Bay Area food world; she even participated in our very first 12 Nights of Chocolate. She’s also the founder of Private Chefs of the SF Bay, and she brings us this recipe via one of the chefs in the co-op, Rose Johnson. This chef collective does private catering and dinner parties, and they’ve been kind enough to make ours their chocolate of choice for all of their cooking and baking. Karen S. tried this recipe with our Kokoa Kamili, Tanzania Chef’s Chocolate and thought that the tropical notes went really well with the tangy wine and labneh.

YIELD: two to four servings

INGREDIENTS:

Figs:
10-12 dried figs
2 oz. ground chocolate, chef’s chocolate, or 70% chocolate, finely chopped
10-12 whole almonds, toasted

Crémeux:
½ cup labne or thick Greek yogurt
2 oz. ground chocolate, chef’s chocolate, or 70% chocolate, finely chopped

Port Wine Sauce:
½ cup Port wine
2 Tbs. heavy cream

METHOD:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Cut or snip the stems from the dried figs. Use a small paring knife or spoon handle to gently open the figs at the stem end and create a small pocket. Stuff the fig with the chocolate, and top it with a toasted almond.

Place the figs upright and snugly together in a heatproof ramekin, or make one from aluminum foil. Roast the figs until they soften and the chocolate melts, approximately 10-12 minutes.

To make the crémeux, melt the chocolate in a bain marie or in the microwave (stirring at 20-second intervals) until melted. Fold the melted chocolate into the labne. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Now it’s time to make the sauce. In a small saucepan, combine the Port with the cream and reduce it over medium heat until it’s as thick and syrupy as honey. Pay attention, as it will thicken up fast!

To assemble the dish, spoon some of the sauce onto a plate, then top with the figs. Place a dollop of the crémeux beside each fig, and serve. Be careful; the chocolate inside the fig may be very hot.