A Sweet (And Cheesy) Way to Wrap Up Summer
Like many seasonal fruits and veggies, I anxiously await the week when fresh figs are waiting for me in the produce section. Up until my early twenties, the only fig variety I was familiar with was in “Newton” form, which I was never too excited for. They were fine, but never really did what a chocolate cookie could do for me back in the day. My first experience seeing one of these fruits in the flesh was a summer in college where I was staying with my dad. He’d been gifted fresh figs from a friend of his and brought them home for us to try. We sampled them as is, and I was in disbelief. How had a fruit that tasted so sweet existed my entire life without my knowledge? I’d never give up my Midwestern upbringing for anything, but the lack of variety of fruit can be a real bummer.
With the rest of the figs we hadn’t eaten plain, my dad concocted an appetizer for our Saturday night dinner. Cheese stuffed figs wrapped in prosciutto. He found a firm goat milk cheese and got fresh prosciutto from the deli. He stuffed and wrapped each of the remaining figs and placed them on the grill, letting them warm all the way through. We all anxiously dived in and were in love. So much so we sought out more fresh figs to make them again the following weekend.
Since that revolutionary meal, I’ve taken my dad’s recipe and updated it slightly, mostly due to the fact that it’s challenging to have a grill in your small city apartment. I’ve chosen to bake my figs in a hot oven, still resulting in a texture that’s gooey on the inside but crisp on the outside. And to really double down on the sweetness of the figs, added some balsamic glaze over the top.
The Details
The best part about this appetizer is it really takes minimal cooking skills, just a little bit of assembly. Start with slicing each fig down the center almost all of the way through, stopping before splitting open the top near the stem.
For the goat cheese, I find it easiest to slice the log of cheese into disks and cut them in half. This tends to be nearly the perfect size to place in between the two halves of the fig! Once the cheese is placed, give each side of the fig a little squeeze, to make sure the cheese will be held in place, and wrap a single slice of prosciutto around the entire fruit, taking care to cover the bottom of the fruit so you don’t lose too much melted cheese or fig juice while it bakes.
Once all of the figs are wrapped in prosciutto, place them on a baking tray and bake for around seven minutes. This will leave the cheese melty and the prosciutto nicely crisped on the outside. Transfer the warm figs to a serving tray and drizzle with a balsamic glaze of your choice and enjoy!
Baked Figs with Goat Cheese, Prosciutto, and Balsamic Glaze
Description
A sweet and savory appetizer that combines fresh figs, goats cheese, and crispy prosciutto into a delectable bite.
Ingredients
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 450°
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Slice the figs in half, up to the stem, leaving a small part combined near the top of the fruit
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Place one portion of goat cheese in the center of each fig, bringing the two halves together like a sandwich
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Wrap a slice of prosciutto around each fig, letting it stick to itself to hold it in place
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Arrange the wrapped figs on a baking tray, stem side up, and bake for 6-8 minutes until warmed through and the prosciutto begins to crisp.
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Move the baked figs onto a serving tray and drizzle with balsamic glaze to taste
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Serve warm and enjoy!
This looks like a winner. I got figs from a friend today, I have goat cheese, but need the ham, which I’ll get tomorrow. Thanks!
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