Savory Fig Jam

Savory Fig Jam

It’s fig season…somewhere, elsewhere, though not here.  For some reason, fruit-bearing figs trees are an uncommon sight in the Caribbean.  I’m not really sure why, since fig trees like a warm climate and lots of sunshine.  Banyan and other strangler figs are pretty common in the West Indies.  But I’ve yet to see a Kodata, a Black Mission or a Brown Turkey down here in the islands.

That’s not to say there are no figs in the Caribbean.  But if somebody offers you a fig around here, you’re going to get a banana.  Petite fig bananas are one of the glories of the tropics.  Green figs can be used in salads, paired with saltfish, or added to soups and stews.  When ripe they add a rich sweetness to breads, cakes and desserts.  And there’s no better banana for eating out of hand, fast food of the most delicious kind.

But back to those Black Missions.  By some miracle of globalization and modern transportation, our local supermarket has been stocking fresh figs lately.  Biblical yet sensual, fresh figs are a rare treat; the figs we get here are usually either dried or in Newton form.  Like fig bananas, figs are equally at home in sweet and savory preparations and are disarmingly easy to prepare.

Spread goat cheese on toasted country bread, grate a little black pepper over the cheese and top with a halved fig and a drizzle of honey for a sweet, tart crostini.  Try a salad of spicy arugula topped with figs and shaved parmesan and dressed with good olive oil and just a hint of lemon juice.  A lovely dessert is fresh figs cut in half with some honey spooned over, roasted in a 400° oven for 15-20 minutes and topped with a dollop of mascarpone.

And you can’t go wrong with this fig jam that, with its notes of honey and bay, deftly straddles the line between sweet and savory.  The hint of fennel makes it a natural accompaniment to roast pork.  And I like to pair it with an aged pecorino for a cheese course that reminds me of those I enjoyed in Italy.  Buon appetito.

Fresh figs

Savory Fig Jam

1 large onion, peeled and chopped

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 pounds fresh figs, stemmed and quartered

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup honey

1 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed

1 bay leaf

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Put the onion and olive oil in a heavy pan and cook over low heat to caramelize the onion.  Cook very slowly, stirring often, until the onions are a rich golden color and very soft, about an hour.  Add the figs, sugar, honey, fennel and bay leaf and bring to a boil.  Turn the heat down to a simmer and cook for half an hour.  With a slotted spoon, remove most of the fig pieces to a bowl, leaving the syrup and a few pieces of fig behind in the pan.

Continue boiling the liquid until it’s thick and syrupy, about half an hour.  Add the syrup to the figs in the bowl and stir in the balsamic vinegar.  Let the jam cool and pack in airtight containers and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.  The jam freeze well or, if you’re experienced at “putting up” as we say in the South, you could process it in sterilized jars in a water bath for longer storage.  Makes about 2 1/2 pints jam.