Although fresh figs are so utterly compelling raw, there are times you want to dress them up a little. Generally speaking, the less you do the better.
One of the best things to do with figs is to pair them with prosciutto or “jamon serrano.” Wrap the meat around the fig and skewer it with a toothpick for handy eating. Try a couple of different proportions to see what gives you the best balance of salt and sweet.
I usually find that about a half of a thin slice of meat is right for a half a medium fig.
Fresh figs also pair well with cheese, but here you need to be careful. To my taste, the popular match of figs and strong blue cheese needs to be entered into cautiously. Use a light hand with the cheese, or the combination can easily become an overpowering combination of rich, sweet and salty. I prefer something milder and lighter, like a fresh goat cheese or good ricotta.
Figs are also good spiced and pickled, much as you would prepare pears. Make a quick pickling mixture of half water and half red wine vinegar and simmer it with sugar and some warm spices (cinnamon, clove, allspice). Pour the mixture over the whole figs and then let them sit for a couple of hours, up to a week. Serve them with roast meat or on crisp vegetable salads.
One of my favorite fall desserts is a fig tart. Pre-bake the crust, then spread it with a thin layer of raspberry jam. Make lavender sugar by grinding sugar with some lavender flower pods. Arrange quartered figs in the crust, then sprinkle them with the sugar and bake until the figs have heated through.
Even simpler, cut the figs in half, dust them lightly with sugar and then run them under the broiler to glaze. Try a few of these with a little bourbon-spiked whipped cream.
Or quarter them and poach them briefly in a simple sugar syrup infused with fresh basil.
The idea of fig ice cream sounds natural enough, but it can be a little tricky to pull off.
There’s an enzyme in figs called ficin, and it can sour the milk if you don’t handle it right.
Warm the figs with the sugar just until the sugar melts and the mixture begins to bubble, about 155 degrees, the temperature that kills the enzyme.
I like a little mascarpone in the ice cream to add depth to the flavor of the cream and to underline that bittersweet caramel quality of the figs.
However you use figs, shop carefully. Ripe figs are tender, but not gushing. If you see cracks in the skin, that’s a good sign. And if you see a little tear of syrup falling from the eye on the bottom, that indicates super-sweet figs.
Fig-Honey Gelato
Makes 1 quart.
Ingredients
1 pound fresh figs, quartered
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon orange liqueur
1/3 cup mascarpone
1 1/2 cups milk
Pinch salt
Directions
In a saucepan, heat the figs over medium-high heat with the sugar, stirring roughly so they break apart. Cook, stirring, until the figs have mostly melted and begin to bubble, about 5 minutes.
Remove from the heat and stir in the honey, orange liqueur, mascarpone, milk and salt.
Chill well, about 30 minutes in the refrigerator; then freeze according to ice cream maker’s instructions.
Each serving: 182 calories; 3 grams protein; 31 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams fiber; 6 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 17 milligrams cholesterol; 42 milligrams sodium.
Fig Salad with Prosciutto and Basil
Adapted from “Simple French Food” by Richard Olney. Serves 4.
Ingredients
1 pound fresh figs
6 basil leaves, slivered
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 slices prosciutto, slivered
Directions
Remove the stems from the figs and cut the figs nearly in quarters, leaving them attached at the base. Press each fig at the base so the top opens out like a flower. Place each fig in a deep platter, roughly 11-by-7 inches, pressing down slightly so the fig remains upright. Scatter the slivered basil leaves over the figs.
Cover with plastic wrap and let stand 30 minutes, or until ready to serve. If you want to prepare the figs ahead of time, they can be refrigerated up to two hours; let stand at room temperature one hour before serving.
In a bowl, stir together the whipping cream and lemon juice and set aside at least 30 minutes, or up to two hours. It should thicken slightly.
When ready to serve, scatter the slivered prosciutto slices over the figs. Stir the lemon cream to smooth it, then drizzle it from the tip of a spoon in a pattern of lines over the top of the figs and prosciutto. Serve immediately.
Each serving: 210 calories; 5 grams protein; 23 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams fiber; 13 grams fat; 7 grams saturated fat; 49 milligrams cholesterol; 294 milligrams. sodium.
Pork Chops with Roasted Figs
Makes 6 servings.
Ingredients
1 dozen fresh figs, cut in half
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
2 teaspoons minced shallots
6 tablespoons Port, divided
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
6 pork chops (about 1-inch thick and 2 1/2 pounds total)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon heavy cream
Directions
Place the figs in a bowl and sprinkle them with the rosemary and shallots. Add 2 tablespoons of Port and the red wine vinegar and stir gently to combine. Set aside for at least 1 hour, or up to 4 hours.
Generously season the pork chops on both sides with salt and pepper. Refrigerate at least 1 hour until ready to serve.
Heat the oven to 400 degrees. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat.
When the oil is quite hot, pat the pork chops dry and add them to the pan. Brown the pork chops well on both sides, in batches, about 3 minutes on the first side and 2 to 3 minutes on the second.
Remove the pork chops to a plate, pour all the fat from the skillet and add the remaining one-quarter cup of Port. Reduce to a syrup, add the cream and reduce that to a thick sauce, about 30 seconds. (It will thin with the cooking juices).
Return the pork chops to the pan and arrange the figs over the top. Add the marinade. Cover and place in the oven until the pork chops are cooked through, about 10 minutes.
Carefully transfer the pork chops and figs to a warmed serving platter. If necessary, reduce the sauce a little more over medium-high heat, and then spoon it over the pork and figs. Serve immediately.
Each serving: 356 calories; 21 grams protein; 22 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams fiber; 19 grams fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 71 milligrams cholesterol; 68 milligrams sodium.
