Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Roasted figs with goat cheese and truffle honey

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Photo: Lynne Hemer (Cook and Be Merry)

When I was planning the menu for this year's Trufflepalooza, I worked hard to keep the 16 dishes in balance. Truffles work best against gentle backgrounds, so there's always a lot of white starch: rice, pasta, potatoes. Truffles also pair well with meat and eggs. Fruits and vegetables have proved more of a challenge.

Trufflepalooza happens every year at the end of July during black summer truffle season. In southern California that also happens to coincide with fresh fig season. Two days before the party my friends at the California Fig Advisory Board sent me a few flats of ultra-ripe Mission figs, to which I decided to do as little as possible. We split them in two, topped them with a clump of goat cheese, ran them under the broiler, then drizzled them with truffle honey. A one-bite treat, sticky and musky, salty and sweet.

Serve these broiled figs with cold Prosecco or champagne as a quick starter for your next dinner party. I'm in love with Sabatino Tartufi's truffle honey - it gives cheese a dusky glow.



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Roasted figs with goat cheese and truffle honey
Broiling the figs brings out their sweetness. A drizzle of truffle honey takes these one-bite appetizers to the next level.
Ingredients
  • 12 ripe Mission figs, halved
  • 4-6 ounces fresh goat cheese
  • approximately 1 Tbsp truffle honey
  • pinch of sea salt or truffle salt (optional)
Instructions
Preheat the broiler. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.Press a clump of goat cheese into the center of each fig half. Line up the figs on the baking sheet. Broil them about 5 inches from the heat for 1-3 minutes, until the goat cheese is browned and the figs are softened and juicy. Watch them carefully so the cheese doesn't burn.Carefully move the roasted figs to a serving tray, then drizzle with the truffle honey and sprinkle with a tiny bit of salt. Serve immediately.
Details
Prep time: Cook time: Total time: Yield: 24 pieces

5 comments:

Rhonda said...

Truffle honey? Sounds divine! Can you believe I've never had a fresh fig...someday, and I hope it has truffled honey.

Diane Schmidt said...

I can only imagine how delicious these really tasted, my mouth is watering!

Erika Kerekes said...

Rhonda - I had never tasted a fresh fig until I moved to southern California. It's an acquired taste, or more accurately an acquired texture. But it's a taste worth developing. If you're ever in Los Angeles in late August, let me know and I'll show you my secret trees. :)

Emily (roots+platters) said...

I am in LOVE with this! I adore simple, elegant dishes in which you can taste each ingredient, but at the same time they all play nicely together on your tongue. (Don't we all?) However, this dish is elevated to simplistic genius! And I believe the truffle honey you're referring to won a Sofi Award at last year's Fancy Food Show - and if I remember correctly, it IS amazing! :) Thanks for sharing all of your Trufflepalooza insider info! Fun!

Monet said...

I adore roasted figs...and I can only imagine how amazing they must taste with goat cheese and this truffle honey. Thanks for sharing another sweet treat, my friend. I love starting my day with your blog. I hope you have a wonderful end to your week. I'm so glad it is almost Friday! Much love and many blessings.

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