In season beginning in late summer, figs provide a bridge between light warm-weather meals and the heartier preparations we crave in fall. Fresh figs are around for too little time, but dried figs, available year-round, are also delicious. We've rounded up our favorite recipes for fresh and dried figs.
Figs are great in spreads. Paired with salty, briny olives, their sweet, earthy flavor is a natural complement to cheese. Our basic fig-olive tapenade with capers, balsamic vinegar, and thyme is a wonderful topping for crostini when paired with goat cheese. For an extra umami kick, anchovies are a great addition to a tapenade. For something sweeter, our fig compote is flavored with bourbon, star anise, and cardamom. It's a perfect foil to stinky cheeses.
Figs also make great sauces. Our sweet and sour fig gastrique with honey and orange juice is an ideal accompaniment to grilled quail or roast duck. Or try a salad of pistachios and roasted carrots dressed with a fig vinaigrette.
Keep figs in mind next time you want to mix up a cocktail. Our Madison Avenue Manhattan combines bourbon with an aquavit made with figs and cardamom, while our Madison Square is a Manhattan variation sweetened with a fig syrup.
Find these dishes and more in our collection of rich fig recipes.
Sautéed Quail with Black Barley, Beets, and Fig Sauce
Sautéed Quail with Black Barley, Beets, and Fig Sauce
Robiola-Stuffed Figs with Pomegranate
Pungent Robiola cheese can be substituted with brie, ricotta, or any other soft cheese in this simple no-cook appetizer. Get the recipe for Robiola-Stuffed Figs with Pomegranate »
Carrot and Pistachio Salad
Carrots are roasted before being topped with crunchy pistachios and a sweet fig vinaigrette in this simple salad.
Dried Fig Compote
This compote of figs, bourbon, anise, cardamom, and citrus zest is a perfect accompaniment for stinky cheeses.
Goose Confit and Fig Salad
For this luxurious salad, top spicy arugula with a rich confit of braised goose leg and fresh black mission figs.
Goat Cheese Crostini with Fig-Olive Tapenade
A tangy-sweet tapenade made with dried figs, kalamata olives, and capers is the perfect foil for mild goat cheese in this easy appetizer. Get the recipe for Goat Cheese Crostini with Fig-Olive Tapenade »
Olive Spread with Figs (Tapenade Noir à la Figue)
This classic Provençal spread made with black olives and cured anchovies gets a chewy texture and sweet flavor from the addition of dried Black Mission figs.
Chicken Tagine with Apricots, Figs, and Olives (Tagine Djaj Bzitoun)
Briny olives, sweet apricots and figs, and tart preserved lemons flavor this aromatic North African braised chicken stew.
Madison Avenue Manhattan
Aquavit steeped with dried figs and toasted cardamom adds sweetness and warm spicy notes to this twist on a Manhattan.
Fig Ice Cream
Ripe black mission figs, sweet brown sugar, and just a hint of cinnamon combine beautifully in this swirled ice cream, as lovely to look at as it is to eat.
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