Several years ago when we moved into our new home, my oldest son’s Godfather gifted him a fig tree. We’d had one in the backyard of our last home: “Something every young Italian boy should have”, said the enclosed card. When we moved to Southern California many years later, we were heartbroken to leave “Figgy” behind, so you can imagine our excitement when a new one arrived as a house warming gift!
It took nearly six years for “Figgy Jr.” to finally begin bearing fruit and this year’s yield has been a bumper crop! In fact, we’ve been averaging so many figs (about 8-10 per day) that we actually bought a dehydrator (Fig chips anyone)?
If you’ve never tried figs before they’re incredibly sweet and if you enjoy a good meal, as much as our family does, you won’t want to miss out on this recipe! The best part (besides the sweet and savory flavors) are that the entire dish can be made in one pan AND in around thirty minutes!
Our Mission Figs and are completely organic (we just water it and let Mother Nature do the rest). In fact, our local Whole Foods charges $4.99 for a container of Organic Mission Figs and they are TINY compared to ours–some of which are the size of large plums!
At this rate, I may have to quit my day job and start selling figs at the local Farmer’s Market!
Fig and Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Fig Balsamic Glaze
Serves 4-6
Prep Time
Cook Time
Serving Size
Ingredients
Fig and Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Fig Balsamic Glaze
4-6 Boneless, skinless Chicken Breasts (one per adult, half per child)
8-12 oz. Goat Cheese
1/2 C. ground Pistachios**
1/4 C. chopped Dried Figs* (for the “stuffing”)
3-4 Fresh Mission Figs (for garnish)
1/4 C. chopped White or Yellow Onion*
2 cloves Garlic (minced)*
2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 C. Flour (for dredging)
1 Tsp. Sea Salt
1 Tsp. Ground pepper
*If you’re in a hurry, go ahead and use substitutions. I used dried figs from our tree as well as fresh onion and garlic, plus I happen to think fresh ingredients infuse a deeper flavor, but feel free to substitute for store bought dried figs, onion powder and garlic powder. The quivalencies should be listed on the containers, but you’d use roughly 4-6 dried figs (about one per chicken breast) and 1/4-1/2 tsp. ea. of the onion and garlic powders).
**If you dislike Pistachios or have an allergy to nuts you can omit these entirely or substitute with Pecans. The flavor of the Pistachios, combined with the goat cheese and figs, makes this dish simply amazing!
Fig Balsamic Glaze
Drippings from pan
1 C. Chicken Broth
1/2 jar Dalmatia Fig Spread
1/2 C. Balsamic Vinegar
2 pinches of Fresh Rosemary, chopped
Directions
Preheat oven to 375F
Using a sharp knife, filet boneless, skinless chicken breasts 3/4 way through to create a flap or “pocket”, set aside
Next grind pistachios using a food processor or place them in a ziplock bag and use a wooden spoon or rolling pin to “grind” them
In a large glass mixing bowl, add goat cheese, pistachios, dried figs, onions and garlic
Mix well using a fork. Set aside
Add Olive oil to large sauté’ pan
On a large plate, combine the flour, salt and pepper
Heat oil in sauce pan on medium heat
Spread goat cheese mixture (about 1-2 ounces per breast) evenly inside each piece of chicken
Dredge chicken breasts through flour, coating lightly on both sides
Place in sauce pan and cook until brown on each side
Once browned, place breasts on cookie sheet. I used non-stick spray to keep them from sticking to the pan and for easier clean up!
Place in oven and bake for about 12-15 minutes (based on thickness) or until done
Fig Balsamic Glaze
While chicken is in the oven, keep drippings on medium-low heat
Add 1 C. of Chicken Stock to the sauce pan drippings and increase the heat to medium, using fork tines to gently scrape the bottom
Next add 1/2 jar of Dalmatia Fig Spread
Followed by fresh Rosemary
Continue to stir until glaze begins to thicken and bubble
Once glaze becomes thick and shiny, reduce heat to low, stirring often to prevent scorching
After removing chicken breasts from oven, arrange on a platter and drizzle with Fig and Balsamic Glaze
Place remaining glaze in a gravy boat to use at the table
Garnish platter with fresh figs (if available)
Serve with a side salad of Arugula, sliced strawberries and shaved parmesan paired with my Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette to round out your meal.
Enjoy!