I've been conscious for the last few weeks that figs are in their short season, and anxious to make this Ottolenghi recipe with them at home. The fabulous fig salad we enjoyed at the Newmarket Hotel extended my sense of urgency to Michael and we made sure we were all set for it before the Easter weekend completely disappeared.
The idea isn't too complicated - a bed of mixed green leaves, juicy sweet figs, tangy goat's curd and an even tangier dressing of mustard and pomegranate molasses. Ottolenghi thins the dressing out with a lot of olive oil and coats the leaves in it. This approach didn't have quite the bite I was after (and our cheese was pretty tame too) so on my second attempt I skipped the olive oil, added just a drop of water to loosen up the molasses and dripped my punchier dressing across the entire plate. That did the trick.
I wasn't scrupulously loyal to the original quantities so I'm keeping them vague in my recipe below. The most important thing is to get the freshest, ripest, finest quality produce possible - there's nothing much extra here to flatter them.
Fig & goat's curd salad
(based on a recipe appearing in Yotam Ottolenghi's Plenty)
Scatter handfuls of mixed green leaves and torn basil over a plate. Slice fresh figs longways into quarters and arrange them on top of the greens. Dot the plate with teaspoonfuls of fresh goat's curd and snip over a few chives.
In a cup, whisk together a small amount of Dijon mustard with at least double the quantity of pomegranate molasses. Add salt and pepper to taste, and whisk in a little water or olive oil to thin the dressing out. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and serve.
and made infinitely easier (and more elegant) by your changes, i reckon.
ReplyDeletei've a friend with a tree bursting with them at the 'mo. gorgeous!
Thanks, Lucy. And lucky you! We're paying by the punnet at the local fruit'n'veg.
DeleteI've been making figs, sliced in half, drizzled in honey and baked at 180 degrees C for about 15 mins. After they come out of the oven I top each half fig with a small piece of blue cheese. It's heavenly!
ReplyDeleteI've been making this about once every two days to make the most of fig season, it's been quite a binge!
Will have to try this Ottolenghi recipe before the figs slip away from us!
Hi Anna! I baked a few leftover figs for dessert later and they were amazing, I can only imagine how great they'd be with blue cheese.
DeleteLovely salad. Particularly like the pomegranate molasses in the dressing. Deliciousness. I am yet to take full advantage of figs this season, you've reminded me I need to be quick.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Kathryn! I have a soft spot for sweet-and-sour flavours and pomegranate molasses is such a great way to make them.
DeleteYum! Oh how I love buying fresh figs & goats curd, but I've never paired them in a salad- will now! Perfect :) x
ReplyDeleteHannah, I know you're no stranger to greens so I'm sure you'll like this approach. :-)
DeleteI had a similar combination when I brunched at reverence Specialty Coffee in Ascot Vale. It was really good!
ReplyDeleteHi Fatboo - good to see cafes making the most of fig season too. :-)
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