Baked Goat Cheese with Caramelized Onion, Garlic & Mission Figs

This spread is full of flavors I love, so it's no surprise that I enjoyed it a lot. But I should warn you, it's ugly as hell (actually, these photos don't do its hideousness justice; it's way more objectionable in person). So if you're entertaining and trying to impress, you should probably go in another direction. But if you don't mind underwhelming the crowd, then go for it. Once they taste it, they'll appreciate its inner beauty (my mom used to tell me guys would appreciate mine, but so far no dude has ever complimented me on my stunning personality).

BAKED GOAT CHEESE WITH CARAMELIZED ONION,

GARLIC AND MISSION FIGS

Yield: 20 servings

2 (11-12 oz.) logs goat cheese

14 dried Mission figs (1 cup), finely chopped

1/4 cup dry sherry

1/4 cup olive oil

2 large Spanish onions, finely chopped

10 garlic cloves, crushed

3 rosemary sprigs

2 teaspoons salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 baguette, sliced (for dipping)

3 ripe pears, sliced (for dipping)

1.      Preheat oven to 350º F.

2.      Crumble the goat cheese into an oven safe dish and set aside.

3.      In a sauce pot combine the figs and sherry with enough water to barely cover the figs. Place the sauce pot over high heat and bring up to a bubble, cover and remove from the heat and let the figs plump while the onions are cooking.

4.      Pour the olive oil into a large skillet and place over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper and cook, stirring often, for about 10 minutes, or until lightly browned.

5.      Using a slotted spoon remove the plumped figs from the sauce pot, leaving behind any of the liquid. Add the figs to the cooked onions, stir to combine and then spoon over the goat cheese. Place the dish into the top half of the oven for 20 minutes, until the edges begin to bubble.

6.      Remove and serve immediately with sliced baguettes.

barely adapted from Dan Smith and Steve McDonagh

crumbling the goat cheese into the baking dish

mission figs

adding sherry to the chopped figs

onion, garlic, rosemary, salt & pepper

I want to say golden, but the rosemary
turned the onion more of a light green.

I removed the rosemary so it wouldn't be too
overpowering. It still had a very strong (and wonderful)
rosemary flavor, so I recommend doing that.

adding the cooked figs

all mixed

putting the fig/onion mixture over the goat cheese

ready to bake

baked

nice, warm baked goat cheese with
caramelized onion, garlic and mission figs

served on a juicy pear slice

.