Ingredients
12 fresh figs
1/4 cup tawny port
1/4 cup full-bodied red wine, such as Pinot Noir
3 tablespoons honey
1 orange zest, 3 inches, plus 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1 stick cinnamon, 3 inches
1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped
2 whole green cardamom pods, split open
2 whole cloves
1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
Preparation
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Put figs in an 8-inch square ceramic or glass baking dish. Pour port, wine, honey, and orange juice over figs. Submerge remaining ingredients in the liquid around figs. Cover dish with foil, and bake 1 hour.
Remove foil; continue to bake 45 minutes more, basting 2 or 3 times with accumulated juices. Let cool completely, turning figs occasionally to keep moist.
Transfer figs to a plate. Pour liquid through a fine sieve into a bowl; reserve for fig vinaigrette. Discard solids. Figs can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 3 days.
