Fig-Cornmeal Tart

This Fig-Cornmeal Tart is beautiful enough to impress the crowd and is easy enough to make all the components a day ahead.

Under the quartered fresh figs on the tart was a layer of Fig-Armagnac filling. Having said that this tart was easy to make, it was very hard to resist eating the tempting fresh figs and the filling before assembling the tart. My whole kitchen was infused by the sweet scent of figs and Armagnac while the filling was simmering in the pot. I couldn't help but tried a little spoonful of the filling before it was ready. Immediately, I knew this tart will be a hit. That jam-like filling was so silky yet toothsome. How? Thanks to the seeds of the figs. Before I made the tart, I wasn't sure about the cornmeal tart crust. I didn't know how well cornmeal will pair with the elegant figs. Of course, I got the answer when that crunch of fig seeds happened.

When we tried the tart at night. Frank said he wasn't expecting the spices from the tart and probably that's why he didn't find the tart super attractive. (That was very polite of him...) He said it was rather bland. Therefore, I whipped up some crème fraîche to go with the tart as Claudia Fleming suggested in her book. (This is a recipe from Fleming's book, The Last Course) Ah-ha, that's what was missing. A dollop of crème fraîche and a drizzle of honey rounded out the sweetness of the tart. The tart became not as sweet (it wasn't that sweet, but, it was missing something) and the tang from the crème fraîche disappeared... How should I put it?... It was a perfect marriage!