Honey baked figs with air-dried ham, Yorkshire blue cheese and walnuts
This is delicious, easy and adaptable – it can be served as a light lunch with bitter salad leaves, as a great dinner party starter (pop it in the middle of the table for all to share), or as a savoury course. And you can make it without the ham for a vegetarian version.
Ingredients - Serves 4
12 figs
4 tbsps runny honey
200g Yorkshire blue cheese
12 slices good quality air-dried ham (Serrano or Iberico, for instance)
2 tbsps good quality rapeseed oil
200g walnut halves
Bitter salad leaves such as curly endive, chicory or forced dandelion leaf (optional)
Method
Pre-heat the oven to 190°C/375°F/gas mark 5.
Cut a cross in the top of each fig, almost, but not all the way, to the bottom. Gently open the figs out and place a crumbled piece of Yorkshire blue cheese in the top of each one.
Wrap a slice of the ham around the fig: you may need to fold the ham in half lengthways to wrap it around the fig neatly.
Place the figs on a baking tray, spoon the honey over, and place the walnut halves around the figs. Drizzle the oil lightly over the figs and walnuts.
Place in the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes. Remove and serve on a plate dressed with the walnuts, roasting juices and bitter leaves.