Pantry Friendly Fig Sauce

Right, first a few notes on this recipe.  One, this is delicious and if you ordered something like this in a restaurant it would probably cost a small fortune.  Two:  This is deceptively delicious in that it is super easy to make.  Three (and this is important):  You are going to need fig jam to make this.

But, you can make fig jam super easy with dried figs!  I use the recipe for Heavenly Fig Jam by Ball without the liqueur.  Super yummy stuff.  I, unlike a lot of people, can the fig jam in 2 oz canning jars to keep the portions small and that's a perfect size for this sauce as you'll use the entire 2 oz jar.

I'd also like to send up some credit for inspiring this recipe.  I saw this recipe on the Prudent Homemaker and it looked awesome, but I've never even SEEN a fresh fig, so I had to improvise to make it pantry friendly and came up with this.  I changed the recipe to accommodate the fact that I was using fig jam instead of fresh figs and changed up the seasoning a bit, but that recipe definitely inspired everything about this sauce.

You can prepare your pork chops anyway you like for this recipe (if you want to recreate the dish in the photos), but I prepared mine with some salt and pepper and some olive oil drizzled over the top and then I baked them in the oven for about 40 minutes, until the juices ran clear and the pork chops were...well...done!

So, here you go.  You want a fancy looking (and tasting) recipe you can make out of your pantry and really wow people (and make them think you put a lot of effort into it) try this.  It is delicious!

Pantry Friendly Fig Sauce

Ingredients:

• 2 oz (1/4 cup) fig jam
• 2 oz (1/4 cup) apple juice
• 1/8 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. dried rosemary
• 1/8 tsp. dried thyme
• 3 tbs. butter
• 1/4 tsp. salt (or more to taste)
• pinch of pepper

Procedure:

Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium high heat.  When butter is melted add apple juice and fig jam and whisk until the jam is completely incorporated into the liquid.  Add seasonings.

Bring mixture to a boil and then reduce heat to medium.  Mixing constantly (I go for a wooden spoon to do this), cook until the mixture reduces by about 1/3 and is a sauce-like (but not too thick a sauce) consistency.  With the pectin in the mixture it will thicken as it sits.  Remove mixture from heat and let sit about 3 to 5 minutes to thicken.

Serve over pork chops or chicken breasts.

Suggested sides:  White rice and a nice salad with a french dressing.