Wine Fig Sauce

In planning my dinner party menu, I knew I needed a sauce to accompany the duck. I was trying to stick with a late summer-early fall theme and thought figs, since they are a favorite of mine.

I'm not a huge fan of fruits being used in savory dishes, so adding wine and stock help balance this without making it a sweet sauce.

1 carrot
1/2 small onion
1 stalk celery
olive oil
salt and pepper
1/2 bottle red wine
3-4 cups vegetable stock
2 cups figs, quartered (fresh or dried)
2 Tbsp butter

Begin by mincing the carrot, onion, and celery to make a mirpoux. Cook in olive oil with salt and pepper until soft. Add the red wine and reduce. Add the stock and figs, continuing to reduce, stirring in more stock as needed.

A few minutes before serving, whisk in the butter to finish the sauce and give it a nice sheen.