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Fig toast with whipped brie starts off with making a port reduction that gets drizzle on olive oil toasted brioche. Then you place fresh figs and pipe creamy whipped brie and finish it off with a drizzle of honey and crushed pistachios.
About the Taste
The port balsamic reduction is thick and syrupy, bringing a deep, dark sweetness that balances the buttery crunch of the fried brioche. Those figs are pressed into a jammy, floral layer that literally melts into the bread. Then you have the whipped brie. It is an airy, earthy cloud that ties everything together.
The honey adds a sweet touch, the pistachios give a toasted crunch, and the chives add that tiny savory pop that is the perfect flavor to top it off. This appetizer is sophisticated, gorgeous, and with the best flavors.
Table of Contents
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Prep the Ingredients
- Port Balsamic Reduction: Simmer the port wine and balsamic until it coats the back of a spoon. Let it cool completely so it thickens into a rich, velvety syrup.
- Room Temperature Brie: Remove the rind while the brie is cold, then let it reach room temperature before blending. Whipping cold cheese creates friction that breaks the emulsion and makes it greasy instead of a stable cloud.
- Toasted Brioche: Trim the crusts and fry the bread in olive oil until golden and crispy. Do this right before serving to maintain the buttery crunch.
- The Figs: Arrange sliced figs on plastic wrap and use a rolling pin to press them into a thin, uniform, jammy rectangle.
- Chop and Crush: Finely mince the chives and crush the pistachios so the savory and crunchy elements are ready for the final assembly.
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Ingredient Swaps
- Brioche → Swap this for sourdough or a baguette if you’d like. You can also use butter to toast the bread instead of olive oil.
- Port Wine → Use pomegranate or grape juice instead if you want it alcohol-free.
- Figs → I used black mission figs for this, but they are only in season late summer and early fall. You can use pears, apricots, or plums instead.
- Pistachios → You can swap this for your favorite nut. If you are nut-free, toasted pumpkin seeds or toasted sunflower seeds crusted up will work. You can also crush some crispy chickpeas.
Similar Recipes
- Grilled Peach and Stracciatella Tartine 🍑 If you’ve never had grilled peaches, you need to! This appetizer takes grilled peaches wrapped in crispy, salty prosciutto and then places them on homemade stracciatella on top of a toasted baguette.
- Mortadella Tartine with Stracciatella & Pistachio – A crispy baguette, salty mortadella, creamy stracciatella, and nutty pistachio.
- Smoked Salmon Tartine – A toasted baguette topped with an herby cream cheese spread and smoked salmon that is marinated in a citrusy Dijon honey glaze.
The Perfect Pairings
Grapefruit Elderflower Sour: Empress Gin, St. Germain and the Grapefruit Elderflower Syrup – the combination of floral, sweet and sour cuts through this brie and fig appetizer, making this a beautifully balanced bite and sip.
Lamb Loin Chops in Herb Butter: Rich, aromatic, and herby – this recipe for lamb loin chops grilled in the most amazing herb compound butter is the way to go after your fig and brie crostini.
Crispy Herb Potatoes: These herby, rich herb potatoes are great with the lamb loin chops.
Amaretto Peaches: Finish the night off with a caramelized, nutty, subtly sweet dessert.
Chef Nadia’s Tips
- Cloud-like Texture: Never whip the brie while it is cold. Letting it reach room temperature ensures the fat stays emulsified, giving you a perfectly light and fluffy texture.
- The Reduction: Simmer the mixture slowly over medium heat. If you boil it too fast, the sugars can scorch, making the reduction taste bitter and burnt.
- The Fig s: Choose figs that feel soft to the touch with a slight bend at the stem. This indicates they are at peak ripeness and will press easily into a jammy layer.
- The Flip: When assembling, place a second cutting board over the brioche and figs to flip them. This keeps the layer perfectly intact and creates a professional, clean finish.
Fig Toast with Whipped Brie FAQ
You will know that your figs are ripe if they are soft and there is a slight drop to the stem. Figs are typically in season late summer to early fall.
You can prepare the whipped brie and port balsamic reduction up to a day ahead of time. Toast and assemble the brie toast, and top with honey and pistachios right before serving.
You can whip the brie using a hand blender instead of a food processor if you don’t have one.
Equipment
- saucepan
- 2 cutting boards
- pan
- piping bags, or Ziploc bag
- plastic wrap
- roller pin
Ingredients
- ¾ cup port wine
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- 4 brioche slices
- 1 drizzle olive oil
- 8 oz brie
- 1 pint fresh figs
Toppings
- Honey
- Pistachios, crushed
- Chives, chopped
Instructions
- Port Balsamic Reduction: Add the port wine and balsamic vinegar to a saucepan. Simmer over medium heat until it coats the back of a spoon. Let cool.¾ cup port wine, ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- Toasted Brioche: Trim the edges of the brioche slices, then cut in half to form 2 rectangles. Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a pan and fry the bread until golden on both sides.4 brioche slices, 1 drizzle olive oil
- Whipped Brie: Remove the rind from the brie. Add to a food processor and blend until smooth. Spoon into a piping bag or a Ziploc with the corner cut off.8 oz brie
- Figs: Cut off the stems, then slice the figs. Lay out a piece of plastic wrap on the cuttings board and arrange the fig slices in a rectangle large enough to top each piece of brioche. Cover with another piece of plastic wrap on and, using a roller pin, press gently until the figs are even and thin. Remove the top layer of wrap.1 pint fresh figs
- Assemble: • Drizzle each toasted brioche slice with port balsamic reduction. • Place the slices, reduction side down, on top of the figs. • With a knife, trim along the edges of the brioche slices so the fig layer will fit on top of each piece. • Place another cutting board on top and flip so the toasted brioche is on the bottom and the figs on top.• Pipe each slice with whipped brie, drizzle with honey, and sprinkle with crushed pistachios and chopped chives.Honey, Pistachios, Chives
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Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
