Fresh New Zealand figs are in season for a short 10 weeks, so what are you waiting for? Get figgy with it!
Fresh fig rolls
1 serving French bread
1 serving red pepper or chipotle mayonnaise
1 handful microgreens or rocket
3 rashers grilled bacon
1 serving buffalo mozzarella, sliced
1 ripe fig, sliced
Cut a chunk of warm French bread and “butter” it using red pepper or chipotle mayo. Fill with a good handful of microgreens or rocket, grilled bacon, slices of fresh buffalo mozzarella and slices of fresh fig. Season with sea salt and fresh pepper. Lunch!
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Easy beer and fig bread
Spice or sweeten up the recipe up accordingly.
1 cup self-raising flour
1 cup wholewheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp salt
1 tsp mixed spice
3 Tbsp sugar
100g chopped walnuts
1 lemon, or orange, zested
1 Tbsp grated ginger
255ml lager
350g fresh figs, diced
- Into a large mixing bowl, sift self-raising flour, wholewheat flour, baking powder, salt and mixed spice. Mix in sugar, chopped walnuts, the zest of 1 lemon or orange and grated ginger.
- Making a well in the centre add lager and diced fresh figs. Fold mixture into a smooth batter. Pour into a baking paper-lined loaf pan, and bake at 180C for 60-70 minutes until a skewer comes out clean.
- Serve thin slices of bread with cheese, or toast thick slices and serve with fresh figs, bananas or honey.
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Pickled figs
These are as intriguing served warm with icecream as they are chilled and served with cheese, cold meats or terrines.
500g figs, slightly under ripe, with stems attached
1 star anise
1 piece cinnamon bark
½ tsp peppercorns
½ tsp allspice berries
1 ½ cups apple cider vinegar, or red wine vinegar
½ cup spiced rum
½ cup apple juice or use water
3 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 stalk lemongrass, stem end only
1 fresh bayleaf
- Gently wash and drain slightly under-ripe figs with the stems attached. In a mortar and pestle, lightly crush star anise, cinnamon bark, peppercorns and allspice berries.
- In a saucepan, place apple cider (or red wine) vinegar, spiced rum, apple juice or water, honey, and brown sugar. Add the spices, the stem end of a lemongrass stalk, bay leaf, and the zest and juice of a lemon or orange.
- Bring to the boil then lower to a simmer. Add figs and gently poach for 45 minutes, or until they're soft. Remove figs to a sterilised jar, strain over the liquor and seal. Refrigerate once opened.
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Honey roasted figs
1 onion, finely sliced
3 cloves garlic, finely sliced
5 brussels sprouts, finely sliced
1 lemon, zested and juiced
9 fresh figs, halved
2 Tbsp honey, melted
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp olive oil
- Finely slice onion, garlic and brussels sprouts. Toss with the zest of a lemon, sea salt and a grind of pepper and spread into a roasting dish. Cut figs in half and arrange, cut side up, on top of the veges.
- Whisk melted honey with balsamic vinegar, olive oil and the juice of the lemon. Drizzle over the figs and veges, and roast in a hot oven until soft and caramelised.
- Serve with a sliced pork fillet (simply seasoned with fresh herbs, salt and pepper, then quickly seared and roasted until just cooked), a rack of lamb, or a good old roast chook.
