Ancient, unique and versatile

Photo:Marion van Dijk Nelson Mail

Figs are a luscious fruit, even called tantalising by some, with a unique taste and texture that combines sweet, juicy red flesh, smooth skin that easily splits apart, and crunchy edible seeds.

There are apparently more than 150 varieties of fig, and it is one of the oldest known fruits. Figs are native to a wide area ranging from India to Turkey, and there are references to them dating back to 2500-3000BC. In ancient Rome, they were considered a sacred fruit.

Figs prefer a Mediterranean climate, so they grow well here. They don't like wet weather while the fruit is developing, or too much cold in winter, especially when the trees are young. The fruit is very delicate and does not have a good shelf life, and this is the main reason why it is difficult to find fresh figs in the supermarket. If you don't have a tree yourself, hopefully you have friends who do, who will share their bounty.

Dried figs are easily available year round, and many recipes use them very effectively. Methods for drying figs include dehydration, sun drying and oven drying. The fruit must be fully ripe to have a well-developed flavour after drying.

When purchasing figs or picking them from the tree, they should have a rich colour and be plump and ripe to the feel, but not mushy. Ripe figs will keep for a couple of days in the fridge, but they should be stored flat in a shallow container so they do not bruise, and covered to protect them from other smells.

Aside from being truly delicious, figs are also good for you. They are high in potassium and are an excellent source of dietary fibre. They are also a source of calcium, iron and phosphorus. They even have small quantities of vitamins C and B. In fact, they have the highest mineral content of any common fruit.

Some early figs begin to ripen now and will be in their prime in about a month, so don't delay.

Fresh figs can be used in both sweet and savoury recipes, for entrees, mains or desserts. They combine beautifully with goat cheese or cream cheeses such as mascarpone, and taste great drizzled with balsamic vinegar or vincotta (cooked grape must). They work well with wine, honey and sugar. They are very tasty with ham or prosciutto, make beautiful jam (combined with ginger, cinnamon and cloves), and respond well with the sour elements of citrus. The following recipes experiment with some of these taste combinations.

Pork with figs and balsamic vinegar
Serves 4

1 tbsp butter
Quarter cup of chopped shallots
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 cup chicken stock
6 fresh figs, cut into quarters
Half cup of cream
1 tbsp Italian parsley
2 pork fillets, sliced

Season the pork with salt and pepper and saute in a heavy-bottomed pan in some olive oil until cooked through. Set aside in a warm oven.

Melt the butter in the same pan and saute the shallots until golden. Add 2 tbsp of the balsamic vinegar and cook for a minute before adding the chicken stock. Reduce by half.

Add the figs and the cream and cook until the sauce has thickened. Add the remaining tablespoon of balsamic.

Season with salt and pepper. Arrange the pork on four plates, place the figs and sauce around the pork and sprinkle with the parsley.

Prosciutto, fig and goat cheese salad with baby spinach
Serves 4


Photo: marion van Dijk Nelson Mail

12 figs
200g fresh goat cheese
12 slices of prosciutto (use the prosciutto the same day it is sliced; it begins to go hard otherwise and is not as delicious. Try the Mediterranean Food Warehouse in Halifax St, Nelson for freshly sliced prosciutto)
2 cups baby spinach leaves
Extra virgin olive oil
Aged balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Make a salad dressing. Use three parts oil (3 tbsp) to one part balsamic vinegar (1 tbsp). Add one clove of pressed garlic, sea salt and lots of black pepper. Mix well to combine.

Arrange the baby spinach leaves on four plates and allow three halved figs per plate. Drizzle the dressing over the figs, then top with the cheese, crumbled generously on each plate. Top with the slices of prosciutto. Serve immediately.

Figs poached in thyme and white wine with mascarpone

Half a cup of runny honey
750ml dry white wine
Peel of one lemon
2 tbsp lemon juice
A handful of fresh thyme
1 cinnamon quill
6 white peppercorns

Combine the honey and wine. Bring to the boil, lower the heat and cook, stirring constantly until the honey is dissolved. Add lemon peel, lemon juice, thyme, cinnamon and peppercorns. Put the figs into the wine syrup and simmer for 5 minutes, Remove the figs with a slotted spoon and set aside. Reduce the poaching liquid to about a cup. Strain and pour over figs and chill. Serve with a heaped spoonful of mascarpone.