Let the Flames Begin: Tips, Techniques, and Recipes for Real Live Fire Cooking
Recipe Review
Queezle_Sister from Salt Lake City, UT
Fresh figs become an entirely new beast on the grill. This recipe marinates fresh figs in olive oil, salt, and pepper. Five minutes on the grill produced nice sear marks by about 5 minutes. I used a gorgonzola for the blue cheese garnish - placed on the cooked figs after they were off the grill.
I really loved the way a fresh fig, when grilled becomes something in between jammy and crunchy. Amazing. My favorite part was the salty crunch of salt against the soft sweetness of the fig. Be sure to use nice large crystals of salt to give those concentrated zings, and be generous with the pepper.
The gorgonzola - it definitely added to the dish - but I felt that there might be a cheese type that would be better.
Finding fresh figs in Utah is rare - but this is a dish worth remembering about - it would be a stunning party appetizer. And 12 daughter, who normally dislikes figs - really loved it!
Comments
aj12754 - 19th July 2011
I could almost taste this dish just reading your review!
Queezle_Sister - 19th July 2011
Oh how I wish you were here so we could eat it together and discuss! That would be fun. Thanks for reading.
aj12754 - 19th July 2011
I used to make a winter version of this -- dried figs stuffed with blue cheese wrapped in prosciutto and then roasted in the oven on a bed of rosemary ... I have no idea why I stopped making it because it was terrific. And the way it made the kitchen smell ... just WOW!
The original recipe (and I have NO idea where I found that recipe and kick myself because of my terrible memory) called for the blue cheese to be wrapped around a toasted walnut but I dropped that aspect as just too fussy, messy and time-consuming ... and I never missed the walnuts.
If you are ever out this way (NY/NJ) I'll make it for you.
andrew - 19th July 2011
Oh, I really want to try this one this summer - I saw fresh figs at the market last week, so I know they're around. I presume there's nothing in the ingredients other than the olive oil, salt and pepper, and blue cheese?
southerncooker - 20th July 2011
Awesome review and they look delicious.
Queezle_Sister - 21st July 2011
Thanks everybody. These were great, and I'm going to hunt down more figs to see if I like it as much the second time. Yes Andrew, the marinade is just olive oil, kosher salt, and pepper. Very simple, and quick on the grill (about 3 minutes, depending on temperature). I looked around on line - there are lots of recipes, some using goat cheese in place of blue, and some calling for honey. I wouldn't want any sweetness to compete for the fig flavor, though. Do let me know if you try them.
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