FRESH FIG RECIPES

Ingredients
500g shortcrust pastry at room temperature,
8 ripe figs, stalks trimmed
finely grated zest of one large juicy orange
1 tablespoon clear honey
200g softened butter
200g golden caster sugar
200g packet ground almonds
2 medium egg yolks

Preheat the oven to fan 180C/ conventional 200C/gas 6.
Method

Roll out pastry on a lightly floured surface and use to line a shallow loose-bottomed 25cm flan tin Make sure the pastry comes above the rim - it may shrink in baking and the filling could spill. Chill for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut the figs in half lengthways and sit them cut side up on a roasting tray. Mix the orange juice and honey in a bowl, pour over the figs and roast for 10-12 minutes until just soft. Drain off any juice into a saucepan and reserve.

Prick the base of the chilled pastry case all over with a fork, then line with greaseproof paper and fill with baking beans. Bake blind for 15 minutes. Remove the paper and beans and bake for a further 5-10 minutes until the pastry is golden. Remove from the oven and reduce the temperature to fan 130C/conventional 150C/ gas 2. Leave the pastry case to cool slightly before filling.

Cream butter and sugar in a food processor or with an electric beater until smooth and pale. Tip in the ground almonds and zest and whizz briefly to combine. Add egg yolks and 1 tbsp of the reserved fig juice and whizz again until smooth. Spread evenly over the pastry case.

Gently press the figs cut side up into the almond mixture. Bake for 1 1/4 hours or until it's golden all over (don't worry if the centre still seems soft - a little gooeyness is good). Leave in the tin for 15 minutes, then remove sides and transfer on its base to a wire rack to cool.

Before serving, take the tart off its base and transfer to a flat platter or board. If you have juice left from roasting the figs, bring it to the boil and simmer for 1-2 minutes until sticky and syrupy. Brush this over the figs and serve as soon as possible, while the syrup is still glossy on the figs (it will start to seep through into the filling if you leave it too long).

Ingredients
6 slices of streaky bacon
7oz/200g roasted beetroot

Sprig of thyme
5oz/150g dried baby figs
¼ pint/150ml white wine
2 pheasants
2 fresh figs, cut into eight to finish
7oz/200g beetroot

Preheat the oven to 160C/325F/gas mark 3.
Chop three of the streaky bacon slices into matchsticks and cut the beetroot into chunks.
Put the chopped bacon, beetroot, thyme and dried figs in the bottom of a lidded casserole (one of which can go on the hob as well as the oven). Pour over the wine and add a cupful of water.
Season the pheasants with salt and pepper and put them on top, breast side down.
Cover the casserole with foil and put the lid on top to make a tight seal. Bake for 90-120 minutes, until the birds are tender.
Turn the oven up to 200C/400F/gas mark 6.
Remove the lid and foil and turn the birds breast up.
Cut the last three slices of bacon in half and lay over the breast of the pheasants. Return them to the oven uncovered and roast for 10-15 minutes until browned.
Remove the pheasants to a serving dish and keep warm. Put the casserole on the hob and boil to reduce the juices if necessary, to make a sauce consistency.
If it needs a lot of thickening (it depends if the figs have burst or stayed whole), then scoop out a few of the figs and some of the juice and purée with a hand blender before returning to the pot.

Stir in the fresh figs and warm through. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning.

Ingredients (serves 8)

60g (1/3 cup) whole blanched almonds
16 figs, halved
Freshly ground black pepper

Dressing

1 garlic bulb
6 anchovies, drained on paper towel
1 tbs white wine vinegar
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
Salt & freshly ground black pepper

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C.

To make the dressing, place the garlic on a baking tray and roast in preheated oven for 30 minutes or until soft. Remove from oven and set aside for 10 minutes to cool slightly. Peel the garlic and place in a small bowl. Add the anchovies and mash with a fork until almost smooth. Add the vinegar and stir to combine. Add the oil in a thin steady stream, whisking constantly with a fork, until combined. Season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, spread the almonds over a baking tray and cook in oven for 5 minutes or until toasted. Remove from oven and set aside for 10 minutes to cool.

Arrange figs, cut-side up, on a platter. Crumble feta over the figs and sprinkle with almonds. Drizzle with dressing and season with pepper. Serve immediately.

Ingredients (serves 6)

360g (1 1/2 cups) fresh ricotta
60g good-quality dark chocolate, finely chopped
40g (1/3 cup) diced dried apricot
2 tbs coarsely chopped pistachio kernels
2 tbs icing sugar mixture, sifted
6 ripe figs
1 1/2 tbs honey
Honey, extra, to serve

Method

Combine ricotta, chocolate, apricot, pistachio and icing sugar in a bowl.

Preheat grill on high. Cut each fig in half and place, cut-side up, on a baking tray. Drizzle 1/2 teaspoon of honey over each fig half.

Grill figs for 2-3 minutes or until slightly caramelised. Divide figs among serving plates and top with ricotta mixture. Drizzle over a little extra honey to serve.

Ingredients (serves 12)

1 tbs fennel seeds
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 bunch lemon thyme
100g butter
4.8kg turkey, removed from the fridge 1 hour before cooking
1 onion
1 large carrot, roughly chopped
2 bulbs garlic, halved widthwise
250ml (1 cup) verjuice (see note)
6 black figs, halved
2 tbs plain flour
500ml (2 cups) chicken stock sautéed asparagus and broccolini with wilted lettuce (see related recipe), to serve

Corn stuffing
4 cobs corn, kernels removed
100g parmesan, finely grated
5 eggs, lightly beaten
100g butter, melted, cooled
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp dried chilli flakes
300g rustic day-old bread, cut into 1cm cubes
10 slices prosciutto, halved widthwise

Hasselback potatoes
1.5kg (about 6) even-sized desiree potatoes, unpeeled
2 tbs olive oil
6 cloves garlic, bruised, peeled
12 bay leaves or 12 small thyme sprigs
60g butter

Method

To make stuffing, line a large oven tray with baking paper. Process half the corn in a food processor until roughly chopped, then transfer to a bowl. Add parmesan, eggs, butter, garlic, chilli and 1/2 tsp salt, and whisk to combine. Stir in the remaining corn and bread. Using a 60ml (1/4-cup) ice-cream scoop or measuring cup, form stuffing into balls. Wrap a slice of prosciutto around each ball, then place on the lined tray.

To make spiced butter, place fennel seeds, peppercorns and 2 tsp sea salt in a small frying pan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until fragrant. Remove from heat and cool. Process spices in a food processor until finely chopped. Remove leaves from half the bunch of thyme, then add to spices with butter and process until combined. Transfer spiced butter to a frying pan. Melt over low heat and set aside.

To prepare potatoes, cut in half lengthwise. Place one half, cut-side down, on a board. Place a chopstick on each side of potato and cut grooves into potato at 3mm intervals; chopsticks will prevent you cutting all the way through. Repeat with remaining potatoes.

Drizzle oil into an oven tray and add potatoes with garlic. Place 2 bay leaves between grooves of each potato and dot with butter. Season with salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 180C fan-forced. Remove neck from turkey and place in a large roasting pan with onion and carrot. Rinse turkey with cold water, then pat dry with paper towel. Tuck wings under body, then place turkey in the pan. Fill cavity with garlic and remaining thyme, and tie legs together with kitchen string. Brush breasts and legs with half the melted spiced butter.

Pour verjuice and 250ml (1 cup) water into pan around turkey. Cover loosely with foil and place on the lowest oven shelf. Place stuffing on top shelf. Roast turkey and stuffing for 1 hour or until stuffing is golden and firm. Remove the stuffing from oven and set aside.

Place potatoes on top oven shelf and roast with turkey for 1 hour or until potatoes are almost tender, but not very coloured. Remove and set aside. Baste turkey with pan juices, re-cover with foil and roast for a further 30 minutes.

Remove foil from turkey and brush with spiced butter. Roast for 30 minutes, then add figs and roast for a further 30 minutes or until turkey juices run clear when the thickest part of the thigh is pierced with a skewer or the internal temperature reaches 80C on a meat thermometer. Increase oven to 200C fan-forced. Transfer turkey and figs to a platter, cover loosely with foil and rest for 20 minutes. Reserve pan.

Meanwhile, return the potatoes and stuffing to the oven and roast for 20 minutes or until potatoes are golden and stuffing is heated through.

To make gravy, place reserved pan over medium heat. Scatter over flour, then stir, scraping the bits from the bottom of the pan. Gradually stir in stock and bring to the boil. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve into a saucepan. Discard solids. Cook gravy over medium heat for 10 minutes or until thickened slightly. Season with salt and pepper, and transfer to a jug.

Carve turkey, drizzle over gravy and serve with figs, corn stuffing, hasselback potatoes and asparagus, broccolini and wilted lettuce.

Notes

*

Verjuice, from supermarkets and delis, is the juice of unripe green grapes and is mildly acidic and slightly sweet. Substitute dry white wine.

Ingredients

375g dried figs
120ml red wine
3 tbs golden syrup
120g unsalted butter, softened
120g soft brown sugar
2 eggs
60g fresh wholemeal breadcrumbs
110g self-raising flour
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 orange, rind grated
Cream or custard, to serve

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Method

Grease a 1-litre pudding basin, then line the base with a circle of buttered non-stick baking paper.

Place the figs, wine, golden syrup and 1/4 cup water in a saucepan over low heat and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Remove the figs, increase heat to high and boil rapidly to reduce the liquid to a syrup.

Halve the figs and use enough to cover base of basin. Pour over the reduced syrup, then cut remaining figs into small chunks.

Beat butter and sugar until pale. Add eggs, one at a time, then fold in breadcrumbs. Sift in the flour, spices, remaining figs and rind. Stir to combine. Spoon on top of figs, then cover basin with baking paper pleated in the middle, secure with kitchen string and cover with foil. Place in a pan with water coming halfway up sides. Bring to the boil and boil for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove and set aside for 10 minutes. Turn out onto a plate and serve with cream or custard.

Ingredients

Savoury panna cotta

3 gold-strength gelatine leaves
1 cup (250ml) single cream
150ml thickened cream
150g gorgonzola dolce, chopped
Grilled bread, to serve

Fig salad
1 tbs balsamic vinegar
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
4 figs, cut into quarters
2 cups rocket leaves, torn
1/4 cup (25g) walnuts, lightly toasted

Method

Lightly oil four 1/2-cup (125ml) dariole moulds. Soak the gelatine leaves in cold water for 5 minutes. Place creams in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to just below boiling point. Remove from heat and whisk in cheese. Squeeze excess water from the gelatine, then add leaves to the cream mixture and stir to dissolve. Pour into prepared moulds, cover and chill overnight.

The next day, prepare the salad. Whisk the balsamic and oil together, season, then toss with the remaining ingredients
Run a knife around the edge of the panna cotta moulds, then turn out onto plates. Serve with salad on the side, drizzling the panna cottas with any remaining dressing. Serve with bread.

Notes

Begin this recipe a day ahead. Gelatine leaves are from gourmet food shops. Gorgonzola dolce is a creamy Italian blue cheese from delis.