Galloping Figs
I love fresh figs. I don’t care, black or white, I eat them all while they are in season. It all started when I was a kid.
We had 3 fig trees in our Jersey backyard, 2 black, 1 white. I couldn’t wait for the end of summer when the figs ripened so that I could eat them right off the tree, still warm in the late summer sun. My fall job was to wrap the trees with newspaper and plastic sheets and put a bushel on top so they survived the cold winters.
The figs are fantastic this summer, big, fat and sweet. I don’t peel fresh figs the way many do in Italy. I hold the short stem and bite off the whole thing to fill my my mouth with a burst of their rich flavor.
Poor me, I got stuck with 2 pints of Mission figs. No way they’d all be eaten before they spoiled. So I decided to make Galloping Figs, a simple dessert that gets its name from the plopping sound the figs make as they cook in the syrup. The figs have a jammy intensity with just a hint of lemon and bay in the background. Thanks to Lidia for this one.
For dessert, I served the sweet, syrupy figs with Robiola, a creamy soft cheese from Langhe in northern Italy. Galloping Figs make a fantastic topping for vanilla gelato too or just enjoy them on their own. Don’t forget to spoon the luscious syrup on top before serving. The figs will keep for a few days in the fridge to prolong your enjoyment.
Buon appetito!
Candied Fresh Figs (Ficchi Galoppo-Galloping Figs)
Ingredients
- 18 fresh Mission figs or your favorite
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 lemon zests
Cooking Directions
- Put the sugar, lemon juice and water in a heavy-bottomed pan.
- Place the figs close together in the pan stem side up.
- Slide the lemon zests and bay leaf in between the figs.
- Over low heat let the figs cook until they begin to release their juices.
- Raise the heat so the figs continue to make a galloping sound as they cook in the liquid.
- Keep cooking until the figs are soft and the liquid is half way up the figs, about 30 minutes.
- Take the pan off the heat and let the figs cool and absorb the liquid, about 30 minutes.
- Heat the figs again over low-heat until the liquid bubbles and cook until the liquid is syrupy. Keep an eye on them so the syrup doesn\\\'t burn.
- Cool the figs and bathe them with syrup before serving them on their own, with cheese or over gelato.
- Serves 4.