In the flesh

A ripe fig just begs to be eaten.

Just the other day I received an email offering me some newly picked figs from a property in Otaki. This was a nice change from the emails that offer me long-lasting sexual prowess, with promises of continuous satisfaction for my girlfriend. Attached to the email were a couple of photographs of the most splendid figs I had ever seen. Believing this kind of foraging and trading is to be encouraged, I replied that I would love to accept them.

A few hours later, after giving the figs a quick but gentle squeeze, and offering in return a bottle of Dick Frizzell’s Sauvignon Blanc, the deal was quickly completed and I was the proud owner of 20 plump olive-green fruit. Thank you, Heather, for the softest, ripest, most voluptuous and delicious figs I have ever eaten.

The fig was described by the ancient Egyptians as the tree of life, and the ancient Greeks used it as a fertility symbol, but it is not that long ago that fresh figs were relatively unknown in the average New Zealand kitchen.

Twenty-odd years ago, the only way I could obtain fresh figs was by harvesting them myself. Well, actually, my wife did the harvesting while I did the driving. Quite by chance we discovered figs growing in the streets of Wellington’s suburban Mt Victoria. Once dinner service at the restaurant was over, I would drive our Fiat Uno along on the footpath with Julia perched precariously on the roof so she could carefully pluck the ripe fruit from the branches.

Fortunately, figs are now available in most food markets. Look for plump, soft fruit with green, brown or purple skin. Squeeze gently and with caution in case they burst open; they should not smell sour. Because they are so perishable, they should be eaten almost straight away, but they can be stored in a single layer on a tray in the refrigerator for two or three days.

There is something about the fig that is profoundly beautiful, and a ripe fig just begs to be eaten. They can be eaten skin, seeds and all with a soft goats’ cheese, roasted with bacon and tossed with walnuts for a salad, or baked in a tart with an almond frangipane mixture. They can be beautifully poached, served simply with prosciutto ham, or on their own as a dessert. A poached fig has a sumptuous beauty about it and the crème fraîche delivers a silken touch.

Honey-Orange Poached Figs with Biscotti and Crème Fraîche

12 figs

6 tbsp crème fraîche

Heat the ingredients in a deep saucepan, then simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and let the figs cool in the syrup. Refrigerate. Serve the figs with a spoonful of crème fraîche and 3-4 biscotti.

Serves 4.

Orange Biscotti

3 eggs

1 tsp baking powder

Preheat the oven to 190°C. Beat the eggs and sugar until pale and creamy. Stir in the other ingredients, knead until smooth and still a little wet, then roll into logs. Place on greased baking sheets, then bake in a preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and slice the logs thinly on the diagonal while still warm. Place the slices on the baking sheet, then return to the oven for 2-3 minutes to dry out. Cool, then store in an airtight container.

Makes about 40-50 slices.

A hot oven IS essential for this next recipe. The trick is to crisp the prosciutto and melt the cheese just enough so that it starts to dribble over the figs but does not cook them too much. You can use most blue cheeses: Whitestone’s Windsor Blue, Kapiti Kikorangi or Te Mata’s Creamy Blue work especially well.

Prosciutto-Wrapped Figs with Blue Cheese

8 figs

2 tbsp olive oil

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Cut a cross in the top of each fig, almost down to the base. Splay the figs, then gently stuff with cheese. Wrap prosciutto around each fig, but not too tightly – the prosciutto should overlap itself. Ensure the prosciutto is higher than the top of the fig, then sprinkle the tops with the remaining cheese.

Place the figs in a roasting dish, then bake in a preheated oven for at least 5 minutes. Remove the figs from the oven when the cheese is bubbling, then drizzle with olive oil. The figs may need a little pepper, but no salt. Serve warm.

Enough for 4.

You need to treat this pastry gently, as it is fragile. If you like, sprinkle the figs with a bit of extra sugar and place under the grill until they are just caramelised.

Fig and Mascarpone Tart with Red Wine Syrup

The pastry

250g flour

2 eggs

Combine the flour and icing sugar in a food processor, then add the butter. With the motor running, add the eggs one at a time, then continue to mix until the dough forms a ball. Scrape the dough from the bowl, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate until required. Line a 10cm x 34cm non-stick flan dish (the loose-bottomed kind) with silicone baking paper. Because the dough is very soft, roll it out thinly between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Remove the bottom piece of plastic as you wrap the dough around the rolling pin, then unroll it into the dish, ensuring there is even coverage up the sides. Pierce the dough with a fork, then refrigerate for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180°C, then bake the base for 10 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool completely.

For the filling

300g mascarpone

8 fresh figs

Beat the mascarpone, lemon juice, cream and sugar until thick and holding its shape. Spread the mixture over the tart case. Wash and quarter the figs, cutting from the stem to the base. Arrange them cut-side up on top of the mascarpone as evenly as possible. Cut into wedges and serve drizzled with red wine syrup.

Red Wine Syrup

100ml red wine

juice of 1 lemon

Bring the ingredients to a simmer in a small saucepan. Continue cooking until it reduces to a thick syrup.

Enough for 8.