This is a very special recipe for me, very traditional and very yummy to say the least. When the family comes together to dine, whether it's for birthdays, holidays or just because we haven't seen each other for a while, caramelized figs are never not there. We bring them to the table immediately because it is not clear what their role really is, some enjoy them as an appetizer and some have them as dessert. Accompanied by the equally traditional piadina romagnola, I consider them a bit like the pinzimonio to leave on the table for those who want to munch here and there in between courses. Linked to this divine food so overwhelmingly from Romagna is a story that my grandmother Giulietta told me. One afternoon we sat together and I recorded it because I want to bring the story with me and I want her voice to tell me about it.
A family history
My great grandfather Armando had several fig trees on his property, once harvested in late summer he used to cut them in half and dry them in the sun lying on cardboard on top of a building. No longer convinced of the taste of dried figs to be enjoyed during the winter, he decided to change the method and try to cook them with sugar in the wood-burning stove of the casone (big country home), keeping them in jars or cut glass bottles and then eating them "as main course, as dessert, as everything ". To contrast the very sweet taste of the small juicy figs, he combined them with a fresh and soft cheese, furmai murbi, produced by a local farmer, a delicacy! Armando's brother, grandmother Giulietta's uncle, ran a restaurant in the 50s, the Trattoria Lamone (today Osteria da Dumandò), since the family had stocks of caramelized figs for the whole winter and beyond, Armando convinced his brother to offer the figs with furmai murbi to the customers of the restaurant and it was a success. Since the precise origin of this lucky combination of flavors is unknown, I like to think that it was Armando who made figs and squaquerone popular in Romagna. Initially, it was paired with locally produced fresh cheeses, now what is most popular in Romagna homes and restaurants is squacquerone, a soft, slightly sour cheese that pairs very well with the sweetness of the fig. Piadina was introduced later and I find that the three things together are the apotheosis of goodness.
Tips
Preparing caramelized figs is really simple, the important thing is that the fruits are ripe at the right point, you can well understand this because they will easily come off the tree when picked. If you don't have a fig tree available, you will find figs in season at the fruit and vegetable market in late summer, they must be soft but not too much. When cooking it is essential never to mix, the figs would break, instead they must remain whole to keep the inside juicy and full of crunchy seeds.
Vacuum-packed figs keep for years, the more time passes the darker they will become until they appear to be black, better if consumed several months after vacuum packing.
The amount of sugar varies in proportion to the amount of figs. Excellent served with more or less seasoned cheeses, with or without piadina, delicious also enjoyed with ice cream.
Happy baking!
Recipe
Preparation time 20 minutes
Baking time 2-3 hours
Servings 10-12 15cl jars
Gluten free
Ingredients
1 kg of figs
300 gr of sugar
Method
1. Add the figs to a high, large non-stick saucepan. Pour in the sugar and bring the saucepan over low heat. Cook for about 2-3 hours without ever stirring to avoid breaking the fruit. Figs are ready when they turn dark brown in color 2. Immediately fill the previously sterilized jars with the hot figs, add the cooking juices at the end dividing it between the jars, quickly close the lid and turn upside down to create the vacuum. Allow to cool completely and store in the pantry at room temperature away from sources of heat and light
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