figs & pigs

It’s a wrap! Recently I had two puff pastry requests. One was to bring my pigs in a blanket to a friend’s cookout. The other was to come up with a recipe for a fig in a blanket that a friend had at a cocktail reception and claimed was divine.

At the barbeque my buddy was doing a blind tasting of several different strip steaks. One was prime dry-aged, another from a high-end boutique butcher, and the third from Costco. The host was going to grill each on his Big Green Egg, then each of the guests were to rate them. After the tally was done, the strips’ identities were to be revealed. I figured why not kick off the evening with my own bake-off and let everyone also declare their favorite- figs or pigs.

My pigs in blankets are a step up. Using high-end long wagyu frankfurters from the butcher makes all the difference.

Thaw the puff pastry at room temperature for about twenty minutes.

Lightly beat an egg for the egg wash.

Roll out one sheet of puff pastry.

Lay the hotdogs on the puff pastry and cut the pastry into rectangles.

Lightly brush one edge of each with honey mustard and the other with the egg wash.

Roll the frankfurters up in the pastry, pressing the seams to tightly seal. Seam side down, brush the tops with beaten egg.  Sprinkle lightly with flaky sea salt. Cut each at an angle into half-inch pieces.

For the figs in a blanket use black mission figs in the produce section of the grocery store.

Cut a sheet of thawed frozen puff pastry lengthwise into five strips, then cut crosswise into thirds to make 15 rectangles.

Slice each rectangle diagonally to make 30 triangles.

Spoon one half teaspoon goat cheese onto each triangle and top with a halved fig. Drizzle with a little honey.

Wrap the pastry around the fig and press to seal.

Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, brush with beaten egg.

The figs in a blanket can be frozen at this point and baked later. Cover the baking sheet with foil and place in the freezer until frozen. Then place in a zip-loc bag and freeze for up to three months.

The same goes for the pigs in a blanket. Making both the perfect go-to appetizer for any gathering.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the frozen figs in a blanket on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake until puffed and golden, about 18 to 20 minutes.

I can’t wait to share this recipe with my friend Lou. I hope it surpasses her expectations.

As for you, be sure to cast your vote for the winner of this wrap-off!