Appetizers

Balsamic Roasted Figs with Burrata & Prosciutto

Sweet & spicy balsamic roasted figs with burrata cheese and prosciutto, served with toasted bread alongside

Serves 6-8
1lb fresh black figs, stemmed + halved*
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp Calabrian chili peppers (crushed in oil)
1 tbsp honey, plus more for serving
Kosher salt
½ cup pecans
1lb burrata cheese
flaky sea salt
freshly cracked black pepper
3 oz thinly sliced prosciutto
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
olive oil, as needed
toasted bread, for serving

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Add the halved figs, balsamic vinegar, Calabrian chilis, honey, and a pinch of salt to a mixing bowl. Gently toss to combine and set aside.
Line a sheet pan with a piece of foil. Add the pecans in an even layer. Place the pan in the oven and toast the pecans for about 6 minutes, or until fragrant. Transfer them to a cutting board (reserve the foil-lined sheet pan) and roughly chop them.
Set the oven to high-broil. Place the figs onto the sheet pan, cut-side facing up. Pour any remaining balsamic mixture over top. Broil for 4-5 minutes, or until caramelized.
Tear the burrata into large pieces and arrange it on a platter. Season with a pinch of flaky sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Arrange the prosciutto and figs over top.
Garnish with the fresh thyme. Drizzle the dish with olive oil and extra honey. Serve the toasted bread alongside.
notes

*Figs are typically in season from the end of August to November. Sometimes, figs at a grocery store won’t be fully ripened (similar to stone fruit) and can be firm, dry, and fairly tasteless. It’s important to find ripe figs that are soft to the touch.

Breakfast · Dessert · Do-ahead · Fruit · Gluten Free

Roasted figs with pomegranate molasses and orange zest


Recipe by Yotam Ottolenghi

I can’t emphasize enough how crucial it is to choose good, sweet, squidgy figs, no matter what you do with them. It makes all the difference.

Serves 4

3 tbsp pomegranate molasses
1 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp dark Muscovado sugar (you can get this on Amazon)
4 thyme sprigs, 2 whole and 2 picked leaves
Skin of 1 orange, 3 long shaved strips and the rest grated
8 fresh figs, cut in half lengthways
100g mascarpone
100g Greek yoghurt
1 tbsp icing sugar
Salt

Put together in a large mixing bowl the pomegranate molasses, lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of the sugar, 2 thyme sprigs, 1 tablespoon of water, the orange skin strips and a pinch of salt. Mix well to dissolve the sugar and then stir in the figs. Set aside to marinate for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk together in a small bowl the mascarpone, yoghurt and icing (powdered) sugar until smooth. Keep chilled.

Remove the figs from the bowl (keeping the marinade) and arrange them snugly inside a small baking tray, roughly 20x20cm (8″ x 8″), the cut side facing up. Sprinkle the figs with the remaining sugar and put under a hot grill, clearing about 15cm from the grill. Grill for 10 minutes, or until the sugar has caramelized and the figs softened.

Meanwhile, pour the marinating liquids into a small saucepan, bring to the boil and then simmer for 2-4 minutes or until the sauce is reduced by half and has a consistency of runny honey.

Transfer the hot figs to serving plates and spoon over any leftover syrup from the baking tray, then drizzle over the sauce reduction and sprinkle with picked thyme leaves. Place a spoonful of the yoghurt cream on the side or on the figs and sprinkle over the remaining orange zest. Serve at once.

Gluten Free · Salad · Vegetable sides · Vegetable-related

Charred Broccoli Salad With Figs

A high-speed blender will give you the smoothest consistency for the broccoli-tahini purée. You can also use a food processor; the finished purée will just have more texture. This recipe makes more purée than you need, but you can use the hummus-like condiment as a dip for warm pita or raw vegetables, or as a sandwich spread.

Serves 4
2lb. broccoli (about 3 medium heads), ends trimmed, stems peeled
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
½ cup labneh or whole-milk plain Greek yogurt
2 small garlic cloves, finely grated, divided
½ cup coarsely chopped dried figs (such as Turkish or Mission)
Zest of ½ lemon
3 tbsp. fresh lemon juice, divided
1 cup tahini
Small handful of mixed tender herbs (such as mint, tarragon, and/or parsley), leaves torn if large
Sumac (for serving)

Prepare a grill for high heat. Cut broccoli lengthwise into ¼”-thick planks (try to keep crown and stem attached). Toss broccoli planks with oil in a large bowl to coat; season with salt and pepper. Grill, turning occasionally, until charred all over (they’ll look burnt, and that’s a good thing) but stems are still crisp-tender, about 5 minutes; reserve bowl. (Or you can broil broccoli in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet, undisturbed, until well-charred on 1 side, 14–16 minutes.) Transfer broccoli back to reserved bowl and cover tightly and let sit 30 minutes to steam.

Meanwhile, whisk labneh, half of the garlic, and 2 tbsp water in a small bowl until smooth and the consistency of ranch dressing (add more water if needed). Season dressing with salt and pepper.

Cut broccoli into bite-size pieces (about 3″), separating florets from stems as you go. Coarsely chop stems and measure out 1 cup; set aside. Return remaining broccoli to bowl; add figs and 1 tbsp lemon juice. Toss to combine; season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Blend tahini, reserved broccoli stems, remaining garlic, remaining 2 Tbsp. lemon juice, and ½ cup water in a high-speed blender until very smooth and the consistency of a loose hummus. Season purée with salt and pepper.

Spread ½ cup purée on a platter. Top with reserved broccoli salad and spoon dressing over (you won’t need all of it). Scatter herbs, sumac, and lemon zest over.

Do ahead: Dressing can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and chill.

Accompaniments · Appetizer Vegetarian · Do-ahead · Nuts

Fig and walnut roll

This sweet, fruity loaf is perfect with the tangy bite of blue cheese.
Recipe from Alison Adams of “Taste” magazine

100g dried figs
1 cup red wine
1 pinch ground cinnamon
1 pinch allspice
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted
Icing (confectioner’s) sugar, to serve
Blue cheese, to serve
Crackers, to serve

Chop the figs and place in a small saucepan with the red wine, ground cinnamon and allspice. Simmer over low heat for 5 minutes. Set aside for 1 hour to macerate. Drain well.

Place in a food processor. Process until smooth. Add the toasted walnuts. Process until coarsely chopped.

Sprinkle a piece of baking paper with icing sugar. Place the fig mixture in the middle of the paper and roll. Wrap in plastic wrap and seal.

Store in the fridge for 1 hour or until set. Serve with blue cheese and crackers

Dessert · Fruit · Holiday Food

Amaretto baked figs

Recipe by Adam Bush for Olive magazine

Unlike many others, I’m not a huge fig-fan unless they are coated in something interesting or topped with roasted prosciutto and blue cheese. On their own, I find them bland and pulpy.
HOWEVER, this is a really good recipe for upping their sweetness.
Jammy figs are roasted with amaretto for a nutty sweetness. Serve with creamy mascarpone and crumbled amaretti biscuits for an elegant autumnal dessert

**I am leaving this recipe in metric, as I’m finding the metric system is far more specific and I’m preferring it these days

Serves 4

12 figs, halved
150ml Amaretto liqueur
75 g Caster sugar (superfine/bakers)
1/2 tsp plus 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste
200 g mascarpone
200 plain full fat Greek yogurt
1 tbsp icing sugar (powdered)
50 g Amaretti cookies

Heat the oven to 350F/180C/fan 160C/gas 4.

Put the figs, cut-side down, into a 20cm x 30cm (8″x 11″) baking dish. Whisk together the amaretto, caster sugar, ½ tsp vanilla and 50ml of water in a small pan and heat until the sugar dissolves, then pour over the figs. Cover the dish with foil and roast for 10 minutes, before removing the foil and roasting for another 15 minutes. Cool to room temperature.

Mix together the mascarpone, greek yogurt, ½ tsp of vanilla paste and icing sugar.

Spoon some mascarpone yogurt onto plates, and spoon over the figs and their syrup. Crush over a few amaretti biscuits to serve.

Baking · Dairy-free · Gluten Free · Holiday Food

Gluten-free Fig and Blue Cheese Scones

The distinctive sweetness of figs pairs perfectly with the full-bodied tang of blue cheese, making these a perfect treat.

Makes about 24

3 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour
4½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup cold butter
1 cup chopped dried figs
½ cup blue cheese crumbles
1¾ cups cold heavy whipping cream
1 large egg
2 tablespoons turbinado (raw) sugar

Preheat oven to 400°.
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt, whisking to combine. Using a pastry blender, cut butter into flour mixture until mixture is crumbly. Add figs and blue cheese, stirring to combine. Set aside.
In a small bowl, combine cream and egg, whisking well. Add to flour mixture, stirring until a dough forms. (If mixture seems dry, add more cream, 1 tablespoon at a time, until uniformly moist.)
Using a levered 3-tablespoon scoop, drop dough onto prepared baking sheets. Sprinkle tops of scones with turbinado sugar.
Bake until light golden brown, 13 to 15 minutes.
Serve warm.

Dessert · Do-ahead · Fruit · Holiday Food

Drunken Honeyed Figs with Lemon Mascarpone Whipped Cream

Recipe from FOOD 52
When I think about desserts, some that come to mind celebrate the luscious simplicity of fruit, ripe from the tree. And for a Thanksgiving dinner that celebrates the bounty of autumn, this one is a lighter dessert that can balance the heavier meal quite well.
Best of all, in the chaos of coordinating a lot of dishes, this dessert is super easy to make and the figs can be made ahead, leaving you with only the Mascarpone Whipped Cream to quickly make.
I used dried figs as they hold their shape so much better. You could use fresh figs but be sure to adjust your cooking time. The dried figs are macerated in brandy overnight to soften them and infuse them with a contrasting flavor. They are then simmered on the stovetop in a mixture of honey, anise seed and orange juice until the liquid reduces to a syrupy glaze.
Paired with the mascarpone whipped cream, you get a combination that feels luxurious and decadent without the heaviness. You can serve this by spooning or piping the whipped cream beside some arranged honeyed figs or you can arrange the figs in small tartlet shell and pipe the whipped cream in the middle.

**The most important thing to remember in this lovely recipe is to marinate the figs overnight

SERVES 8

16 dried figs
1 cup brandy, or enough to cover and macerate the figs
1/4 cup water
5 oz plus 2 Tablespoons honey (I used orange blossom honey)
1/4 tsp anise seed
4 strips of orange peel (removed with a potato peeler)
7 ounces orange juice
juice from 1/4 of small Meyer lemon
pinch salt
8 bought or made tart shells (optional)

Lemon Mascarpone Whipped Cream
2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
6 tbsp mascarpone cheese
2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
lemon zest from 1 large lemon
2 squeezes of lemon juice
pinch salt

Macerate the dried figs in the brandy, water and 2 Tablespoons of honey overnight. There should be enough liquid to cover the figs.

In a medium pot over medium-low heat, combine the rest of the honey with the orange juice, peel, anise seed, lemon juice and salt. Slice the figs in half and add to the honey mixture. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook until the mixture reduces to a glaze-like mixture. The figs should be very soft, but still holding their shape. Turn the figs carefully with a large metal spoon during the simmering process to completely cover them with the honey-orange juice. Let cool slightly in the pot.

Either arrange several figs on a plate, for example in the shape of a flower or place them in a tart shell, and drizzle a little of the honey-orange syrup over them. (I show pictures of both.) Either spoon or pipe the mascarpone whipped cream beside them on the plate or in the tart. Drizzle a little of the honey-orange syrup on top.

To make the mascarpone whipped cream
, whip the whipping cream to a medium peak using a hand or standing mixer. Add the rest of the ingredients for the mascarpone whipped cream and continue to beat for about 20 – 30 seconds until it is the consistency of whipped cream and can be piped.

Appetizer Vegetarian · Appetizers · Fruit · Gluten Free · Salad

Fig caprese salad

Recipe from Bon Appetite magazine
It’s not about the number of steps or ingredients in a dish. If you shop smart, buying peak-season produce and quality protein, you don’t have to do much at all (like with this easy salad recipe).

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8 oz fresh mozzarella or burrata cheese
8 oz sweet, ripe fresh figs, cut into quarters
Torn basil leaves (for serving)
Coarsely ground black pepper
Flaky sea salt
Olive oil (for drizzling)

Tear mozzarella into medium pieces and arrange on a platter.
Tuck figs around cheese and scatter basil over top.
Season with pepper and lots of salt.
Drizzle generously with a good quality olive oil.

Dairy-free · Gluten Free · Meat

Roast pork tenderloin with stir-fry cabbage and spiced figs

Recipe by Nigel Slater

This is so lovely with the spiced cabbage and red onion stir-fry.

roast pork with figs Nigel Slater

Serves 3

1lb pork tenderloin, silver-skin removed
3 tbsp olive oil
1 large red onion
1 heaped tsp cumin seeds ( love to roast my cumin before using)
1 heaped tsp coriander seeds
8 green cardamom pods
3/4 lb cabbage leaves
6-8 fresh figs
6 tbsp white vermouth

Make sure the tenderloin is dry to the touch, patting it with kitchen paper if not, then season generously with salt and black pepper.
Warm the olive oil in a roasting tin over a moderate to high heat then add the pork and brown lightly, turning it from time to time so all sides color to an even toasty brown. About 6 or 7 minutes.
Remove the roasting tin from the heat, lift out the pork and leave to rest under a large upturned bowl or a piece of foil.

Peel and thinly slice the red onion. Place the roasting tin over a moderate heat, add the onion to the fat and oil already in the tin, then leave to cook over a moderate heat, with an occasional stir, for 15-20 minutes, until soft and sweet.

Put the cumin and coriander seeds in a mortar. Crack the cardamom pods, extract the tiny brown seeds from within and add them to the spices. Pound to a coarse powder with a pestle. (A spice mill will do it even more quickly.)
Stir the ground spices into the onion and continue cooking.

Wash and dry the cabbage leaves, then stack one on top of another and roll them up. Now shred them into ribbons about 1/8 ” thick. Stir the cabbage into the onion, tossing well with 2 spoons or a pair of tongs, to mix everything thoroughly.

Slice the pork into 1″ (3cm) thick pieces.
Cut the figs into quarters, depending on their size.
As soon as the cabbage has wilted – about 2 minutes – remove the mix to a warm serving dish and cover.
Pour the white vermouth into the pan and let it bubble furiously for 30 seconds, then return the slices of pork and their resting juices, along with the figs, to the pan and continue cooking for 3-4 minutes.
Spoon the meat, figs and juices over the cabbage and onions and serve.

Appetizer Vegetarian · Do-ahead · Holiday Food · Salad

Fig “carpaccio” with blue cheese, walnuts & white balsamic

I have always thought of figs as rather bland and pulpy until we planted our own tree several years ago and now walk out into the garden to pick over 15 per day through the season.
This is such a super and different way of eating them. Thanks to Matt Wilkinson.

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Serves 2, sharing

5 ripe figs, cut in half
2 oz blue cheese; I like to use a creamy gorgonzola.
10 walnuts, toasted and chopped
8 basil leaves, washed and torn
2 tbsp white balsamic vinegar (or if you can’t get it, regular balsamic vinegar)
2 tbsp good-quality olive oil
1 tbsp pepitas (pumpkin seeds), toasted
good pinch of salt flakes
a few turns of white pepper
2 slices bread, toasted on a char-grill

Take two sheets of baking paper, each about 12 inches long. On one sheet place the figs, flesh side down, then cover with the other piece of baking paper. Now gently smash the figs using your fingers until they are flat. Once smashed, take off the top layer of paper, leaving the figs on the bottom sheet.

Turn the bottom sheet of paper upside down on to a plate, then gently remove the paper. Now crumble the cheese over the figs, then scatter with the walnuts and basil.

Drizzle the vinegar and olive oil all over, then sprinkle with the pepitas, salt and pepper. Serve with toasted bread on the side.