Figs can go sweet or savory. They love honey, or caramel, or cinnamon and sugar. They appreciate a little salt and/or pepper, and positively shine in the company of cultured dairy like sour cream, crème fraîche, yogurt, labneh, or quark—and all kinds of soft fresh or ripe or hard aged cheeses. They are crazy good with savory meats like prosciutto or bacon, so go ahead and stuff a sandwich or garnish a pizza them. They also play nice with dark chocolate, and they’re nuts about nuts.
They just can’t get enough of the yin yang.
And when it comes to cooking, figs are brilliant at the extremes: cooked either hot and fast—just to caramelize their cut sides—or long enough to stew in their own juices.
Figs, if they could talk, would insist that you make a composed plate with almost any assortment of the good things that I just mentioned—maybe it’s a sophisticated dessert or just breakfast. (P.S. Sometimes the only difference between breakfast and dessert is whether you serve it in a bowl or arrange it on a plate!)
