Holiday Entertaining - Reese Specialty Foods [Recipe] [Fig & Goat’s Cheese Tart]

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Tis the season for entertaining with a luxury embrace, and if you’re hungry you have come to the right place. We’re prepping for the season of delicious delights with Reese. Reese has high–quality, international fine foods that are non-GMO project verified and can easily be used for holiday entertaining.

If you love Italian cuisine and believe that you have not tasted anchovies, think again! You’ve likely consumed them in some tomato-based Italian sauce—just like capers, anchovies are often used as flavouring elements for succulent sauces.

Since anchovies are essentially the bacon of the sea, their versatility goes far, and there’s so much complexity in taste that it brings to a dish. Reese Anchovies are heart healthy, and a rich source of omega-3s. Here, I have used Reese Anchovies to subtly add depth to my Turkish fig and onion tart.

These anchovies add a bit of brininess to balance the acid from the tomatoes and sharpness of the garlic. It’s a piquant tanginess with a touch of elegance that’s very agreeable, and affordable.

A Dash of Gourmet:

For the holidays, entertaining can be overwhelming, but fortunately, I am here to give you a few quick tips on creating holiday hors-d’oeuvres that look amazing without the fuss to prepare.

If you want something homemade without the drama of spending hours in the kitchen, opt for a ready-made dough or pastry, it saves time and there’s nothing better than adding fresh vegetables or fruit to create delicious crowd-pleasing nibbles. Create a Reese Holiday DishList, to get inspired, and download the Ibotta app to earn rebates on Reese products!

Décor: Keep It Simple: Use a garland along the middle of the table with pinecones and additional flowers within the garland, letting the excess length of the garland hang over the sides of the table. This way, there are no vases cluttering the table and everyone can see each other without distractions.

Served Up: For presentation add fresh herbs to your dish. Serve cut tart pieces on two unique trays or on one large serving dish. I’ve used vintage cake plates. Feel free to use faux leaves and/or holiday accessories—small bells, acorns, and holly can add seasonal glamour to your table.

I decided on a more savoury hors d’oeuvre with a hint of sweetness from Turkish figs.

View the recipe below.

Onion, Fig & Goat’s Cheese Tart

Ingredients:

8 slices Reese Specialty Foods flat anchovies

1 x 255g puff pastry sheet

6 dried Turkish figs

1 large onion (about 150g), thinly sliced

1 ½ tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper

120g (½ cup) canned roasted diced tomatoes 

2 teaspoons aged balsamic vinegar 

1 ½ teaspoons organic honey (or sugar-free honey)

pinch kosher salt

57g (2 oz) chèvre/goat’s cheese broken into medium chunks, chilled

1 beaten egg, for glazing 

fresh herbs, coriander leaves, roughly chopped (or use thyme), to serve

Bake: 190C/375F/Gas Mark #4

Yield: Serves 6-8

Method:

Prep:  40 minutes prior to starting this recipe, remove the puff pastry from the freezer. Set aside on your counter. Next, reconstitute the figs by soaking them in hot water for 10-15 minutes, until slightly softened but still firm. Drain the figs, then cut each fig across the equator and set aside. Preheat oven to 190C/375F/Gas Mark #5.

1. Heat the 11/2 tablespoon of olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan and cook the onions over a low heat for 7-10 minutes or until well-softened and slightly browned. Add in the garlic, and balsamic vinegar, then reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes more, stirring until the liquid has almost disappeared. Add in the diced tomatoes, and red pepper flakes. Gently stir. Turn off the heat and set aside to cool.
2. Line a large baking tray with greaseproof paper (or baking parchment) and unroll the pastry sheet on top, cut the excess edges neatly (this will help it to rise nicely). Leaving approx. a 2cm (or about 5/8”) gap around the edges. Note: *If the dough is too sticky add a dash of flour on top when rolling out.

3. Next, evenly distribute the onion mix over the pastry. Top with the halved figs with the inside of the figs facing upwards. Disperse the anchovy slices on the pastry, then add the chunks of chèvre cheese on top of the pastry.

4. Brush the beaten egg around the border of the pastry and bake in the oven for 19-22 mins. or until the pastry is deep golden brown and crisp, rotating the baking tray after about 12 minutes.

Drizzle the 1 teaspoon of honey all over the tart. Serve with a generous sprinkling of fresh coriander leaves, then cut the tart into quarters (or in 10-12 small squares).

What do you think of my holiday hors-d’oeuvres?