Honey and balsamic baked figs with bacon

Honey and balsamic baked figs with bacon: We came across this beautiful image of a baked fig and would love to credit it to someone but we don’t have any recollection or reference for it.

It is possible that we had been hanging on to this image while we were waiting for the next fig harvest to arrive on the trees in our little corner of Paradise, Italy. The figs were so plentiful that having access to a bunch of ideas or recipes aside from jam, is not only extremely useful but necessary! Afterall, Enzo could eat quite a few but even he couldn’t make a dent in the supply!

Although he did try really hard and those of you who know Enzo well, know his capacity for eating …. a lot!

So as we head back into the kitchen leaving Enzo to decide how many figs he will leave hanging from the trees for the birds, we have already formulated a recipe based on the figgy photograph of unknown origin.

Ingredients for baked figs with honey, hazelnuts and balsamic vinegar:

Serves 1 Enzo or 2 – 3 people with a normal appetite

10 firm, fresh figs, washed and cut into 4 without cutting through the base
10 slices of pancetta or thinly sliced bacon
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1 – 2 tablespoons chopped hazelnuts

Preheat the oven at 200°C/390°F.
Place the figs in a baking tray close together to keep them upright and avoid them opening during cooking.
In a lidded jar add the oil, vinegar and honey. Give it a shake and pour it evenly over the figs.
Sprinkle the chopped hazelnuts evenly over the figs and place them in the centre of the oven for 10 – 15 minutes or until the bacon and figs begin to brown.
I prepared an emulsion with 3 tablespoons oil, 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon honey and thyme leaves with which I sprinkled figs.
I sprinkled with the chopped hazelnuts and put in the oven at for about 10 minutes, finally making browning for a few minutes.