Fresh Fig Salad

August 2012

Fresh Figs

We’ve become so used to fresh produce all-year-round that it’s easy to forget some fruits and vegetables are impossible or nearly impossible to find when they’re not in season.

Like figs.

Figs grown in the United States (mostly California) are available only during the summer, some European varieties as late as September. But that’s it. If you want some, get them now, while you can.

If you’ve ever eaten a fresh fig you’re aware of their unique appeal. The fruit is plump, but elegant looking, with a soft-looking, smooth surface in hues of muted greens and purples. The texture satisfies first with thin, delicate skin – no peeling – that immediately gives way to pulpy, gently chewy flesh and crunchy seeds. You eat the fruit as you would a peach or apricot, dig your teeth in and after a few bites it’s gone.

If you’ve never eaten a fresh fig, consider that this special fruit has been revered since biblical times. In fact, some scholars say that the so-called apple that Adam and Eve couldn’t resist was actually a fig. Do try one.

Because figs are subtly sweet rather than bursting with sugar, there’s quite a bit you can do with them, raw or cooked, sweet or savory, beyond summer snack.

For example, they’re useful for quick hors d’oeuvre; just slice the fruit in half and wrap it with a slice of salami or prosciutto ham. Or top fig halves with goat cheese or mascarpone (or even cream cheese) and a drizzle of crushed nuts or honey.

Fresh figs can also perk up a salad, but be careful here, because they are fragile and bruise easily, potentially ruining the texture. Don’t beat figs up by tumbling them into a tossed salad. Opt for gentler treatment and compose them atop Bibb lettuce with Brie or St. Andre cheese, or Frisee with Blue Cheese and Toasted Almonds.

Figs hold up well if you bake, saute or poach them too. Next time you make a roasted chicken, baste the bird with juice (orange, apricot, pineapple or apple) and add some figs to the roasting pan about 15 minutes before you expect the dish to be done. Likewise with sautéed chicken – make a pan sauce using chicken stock and white wine, adding halved figs for a few minutes until the juices have thickened and the fruit is hot.

You can also grill figs, halved or whole (brush them with a film of vegetable oil). These are incredibly versatile. Serve them as a side dish with grilled meats. Or use them for dessert, topped with ice cream, sweetened mascarpone cheese or whipped cream or with crème fraiche.

Few desserts could be easier than poached figs. They take just a few minutes and you can serve the fruit warm or chilled, as is or as part of an ice cream sundae. And you can easily dress the dish up into a gorgeous looks-as-if-you-fussed company dessert – boil down the poaching fluids and serve the fruit with the thick, sweet sauce, with or without cream or fresh berries or a scattering of crushed almonds or pistachios.

Although there are dozens of different kinds of figs, you’ll most likely find just three or four varieties in the market. Kadota figs are green, with red-purplish pulp; Black Mission figs are dark purple outside, dark-pinkish within; Brown Turkey Figs are a smaller variety, with green-and-purple skin and creamy/pink flesh and Calimyrna figs have a light yellow-green skin and amber-orange flesh. They should be firm, with taut skins and no bruises. Don’t throw them into the shopping cart where they can be knocked around by whatever else you’re buying.

Fresh figs are perishable. Store them in the fridge for 3-4 days, wrapped in paper towels and placed in a container or on top of a dish, to prevent bruising.