Pineapple, Port, & Fig Sauce

The figs from my garden.

As my harvest of figs is reaching a peak, and I am able to pick from six to ten fresh figs per day, I am really able to experiment and create new recipes for fresh figs. Here is the latest one with two thumbs up from the wife.

Pineapple, Port, & Fig Sauce
A savory sweet sauce to be used over meats.

10 Fresh Figs, skin trimmed away (see note below for variety)
1 Cup Chopped Pineapple (fresh is best, but an 8 oz can with liquid will work)
1 Cup Ruby Port
1/2 Cup Red Wine Vinegar
1/2 Cup Rice Wine Vinegar
1/2 Cup Honey
1 Small Red Onion, chopped
1/2 Cup Chicken Broth or Stock (homemade is best, but use what you have)
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons fresh Cilantro, chopped
Salt
Pepper
Optional - Hot Sauce (use as much as you like, but don't overpower it)

1. Heat olive oil in pan and sautee onions until just beginning to brown.
2. Add chicken stock and simmer until liquid is reduced by half.
3. Pour into bowl and set aside.
4. Add port and vinegars to pan and bring to a boil.
5. Continue boiling until liquid is reduced by half; this will take about 10 minutes.
6. Add the figs, pineapples, and honey.
7. Simmer until the liquid has reduced a bit and fruit is cooked through.
8. Add the reserved chicken stock and onions (and hot sauce if you want).
9. Simmer until the liquid has reduced and the sauce has thickened to the consistency you want.
10. When cooled to room temperature, add the chopped cilantro.

Just a fraction of the varieties of figs... pleasantly overwhelming!

http://www.fruitlovers.com/FigPoster.jpg

NOTE: There are so many fig species and varieties out there. It really doesn't matter what kind you use. I have no idea of the kind of fig growing in my garden. All I know is it tastes really good. Fresh figs are vastly different than the more commonly available dried figs. Fresh figs have a tropical flavor, kind of a mix between peaches and strawberries... at least mine do. Some figs have a deeper, more rich flavor; it seems the dark or purple figs are like this. Others are lighter, more tropical. It just depends. Experimenting is fun!