Figs

There were some gorgeous black-skinned figs the other day at our local market. These purplish black fruit always trigger memories of my dear grandma, who had a massive tree outside her dining room window (one year blocking out all light in the room, so there were just winks of light glinting in through the fingers of fig leaves); we used to dutifully climb and fetch the figs for her and my mother, who both loved them. One year, she even knitted two bedraggled grey cats that we were sent up to be positioned in the fork of two arterial branches, designed to 'frighten' the birds. I often wonder what happened to these cats, knitted with my grandmother's arthritic thumbs probably plaguing her. The tree is long gone now, but my mother kept a grafted tree that she takes gentle care of and sends my father up unsteady ladders during fig season to retrieve the figs before the tuis can get at them. Our conversations about whether the figs are almost ripe are too numerous to count. I am always seasonally inappropriate with my fig desserts - I furtively scrambled around in early May when the weather was not playing game and was still blustery and cold, buying boxes of the gems for a friend coming over for dinner. He had travelled far to visit. Figs seemed necessary. That evening I settled on baked figs, which were delicious (if rather small). But the figs at this time of year are perfect. They require something more.


Fig, honey & orange tarte tartin

50g butter
50g honey
zest of one orange
4 tablespoons of orange juice
1 vanilla pod
6-8 figs
250g puff pastry

Turn the oven to 200 degrees. Put the butter, honey and vanilla in a pan and cook until soft and caramelly on a medium heat (taking care not to burn). Add the zest and orange juice and stir. Cut the figs in half and place them on top of the caramel. Roll out the puff pastry and lay on top of the figs, tucking it carefully in to the sides of the pan. Add an egg or milk wash to the top of the pastry. Put the whole pan into the oven for 20-30 minutes until golden brown. Leave to cool for some minutes before running a knife around the edge of the tart and then turning right side up onto a plate.