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This whipped brie and fig brioche tartine puts crisp, olive oil-toasted brioche to work under a port balsamic reduction that gives it real depth. Fresh figs press into a jammy layer on top, and I pipe the whipped brie over that so it goes practically cloud-like once it’s plated. Honey and crushed pistachios finish it off.
Table of Contents
How to Pick Ripe Figs
These figs get pressed flat under a rolling pin, so how ripe they are matters more here than it would if you were just slicing them onto a board. Squeeze gently. You want a fig that gives under light pressure but still holds its shape, soft without being mushy. One that’s already gone slack presses into a smear instead of an even layer.
Color helps too with Black Mission figs, which is what I use here. Ripe ones run deep purple, close to black, with lighter violet tones up near the stem. Fine wrinkles are normal on a ripe fig, so don’t pass over the ones that look less than perfect in the carton. What you want to skip is anything that smells sour or fermented. A small bead of syrup at the base is a good sign of ripeness, but a fig that’s actively wet or leaking has gone past and won’t press into anything but mush.
For more information on other varieties, see this guide about figs.
Whipped Brie Tips
Room Temp Brie: Pull the rind off while the brie is still cold since it cuts cleaner that way and you won’t take half the cheese with it. Then cube it and let it sit out about 30 minutes before blending, longer if your kitchen runs cold. Room temperature brie whips faster and lighter, the same reason you soften butter before creaming it. Cold brie still gets there, it just starts out stiff and needs a few extra minutes to loosen. Don’t let it get too warm though, warm brie turns oily.
Cube It First: Cut the rindless brie into cubes before it goes into the processor. Smaller pieces catch the blades instead of riding around the bowl as one clump.
Watch Your Processor Size: Eight ounces is a small amount of cheese for a large machine. A 7 cup processor or smaller handles it fine. In anything bigger the blades spin past the cheese without catching it, so either double the batch or switch to a hand mixer.
Scrape Down: Stop two or three times and scrape the sides. Brie climbs the walls of the bowl and whatever is up there never touches the blade.
No Food Processor: A hand mixer or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment both get you there, they just take longer. The processor does it in under two minutes. Beating it takes several.
Which Brie: Triple cream brie whips silkier than standard double cream because of the higher butterfat. Both work.
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The Assembly
This is the part worth reading before you start. If you’d rather watch it, the video in the recipe card shows the whole build.
Have all four components ready first. The brioche toasted and cooled, the reduction cooled and syrupy, the figs pressed into flat sheets with the top layer of wrap peeled off, and the brie whipped and loaded into the piping bag. Once you start assembling it moves quickly.
- Drizzle the port balsamic reduction over one side of each toasted brioche rectangle.
- Set each piece reduction side down directly onto the pressed fig sheet.
- Trim around the edges of the brioche with a knife so the fig layer matches the bread. This is what gives you clean sides instead of fig hanging over the edges.
- Lay a second cutting board over the top and flip the whole stack in one motion. The brioche ends up on the bottom, figs on top. Do it in one go, since stopping halfway gives the fig layer a chance to shift or tear.
- Peel off the bottom sheet of plastic wrap, now sitting on top.
- Pipe the whipped brie over the figs.
- Drizzle with honey, then finish with crushed pistachios and chopped chives.
Similar Tartine Recipes
Here is a collection of my favorite tartine recipes.
Frequently Asked Questions
The components, yes. The whipped brie and the port balsamic reduction both hold in the fridge for a few days. Bring the brie back to room temperature before piping so it moves through the bag. Toast the brioche and assemble right before serving.
Do I have to press the figs?
No, you can slice them and lay them over the brioche instead. Pressing is what gives you that flat, jammy sheet that reads as one clean layer when you bite in, and it’s the reason this tartine looks the way it does. Sliced figs sit as separate pieces and slide around more under the brie.
Two usual reasons. It’s still too cold, in which case the fat won’t break down and you get lumps that stay lumpy. Or your food processor is too large for 8 ounces of cheese and the blades are spinning past it. Let the brie come fully to room temperature, cube it, and if your processor is bigger than 7 cups, double the batch or use a hand mixer.
Yes. Pomegranate or grape juice reduces down the same way in place of the port.
Pears, apricots, and plums all work and all press well. Fresh figs are only around late summer into early fall, so the rest of the year one of those is your best option.
Equipment
- small saucepan
- Skillet
- 2 cutting boards
- Rolling Pin
- plastic wrap
- piping bag, or ziploc bag
Ingredients
Port Balsamic Reduction
- 3/4 cup port wine
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
Tartine
- 4 brioche slices, crusts trimmed
- olive oil, for frying
- 8 oz brie, rind removed while cold, cubed, at room temperature
- 1 pint fresh figs, stemmed and thinly sliced
Toppings
- honey, for drizzling
- pistachios, crushed, to taste
- chives, chopped, to taste
Instructions
- Port Balsamic Reduction: Add the port wine and balsamic vinegar to a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until reduced and syrupy, 15 to 20 minutes. Drag a spoon through it and run a finger across the back. When the line holds, remove from heat. Cool completely, about 20 minutes. It will thicken further as it cools.
- Toasted Brioche: Cut each trimmed brioche slice in half to form 2 rectangles. Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and fry the bread until golden on both sides. Set aside to cool.
- Whipped Brie: Add the cubed brie to a food processor. Blend 15 to 20 seconds, scrape down the sides, and repeat until smooth and airy, about 90 seconds total. Transfer to a piping bag or a ziploc with the corner cut off.
- Press the Figs: Lay a sheet of plastic wrap on a cutting board and arrange the fig slices into 8 rectangles, each large enough to top a piece of brioche. Cover with a second sheet of plastic wrap. Roll with a rolling pin, pressing gently, until the figs are thin and even. Peel off the top sheet of wrap.
- Assemble: Drizzle the cooled reduction over one side of each brioche rectangle. Set each piece reduction side down onto a fig rectangle. Trim around the edges of the brioche with a knife so the fig layer matches the bread. Place a second cutting board over the top and flip in one motion so the brioche is on the bottom and the figs on top. Peel off the remaining plastic wrap.
- Finish: Pipe the whipped brie over the figs. Drizzle with honey and top with crushed pistachios and chopped chives. Serve immediately.
Kitchen Cam
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
