Recipe - GLAZED FIGS

Throughout the summer delicious frigs are available throughout the cape. Figs are best eaten simply, raw, peeled or un-peeled accompanied by a strongly flavoured cheese. Or serve them as a first course, stuffed with feta or other salty goat or sheep cheese which has been previously flavoured with fresh chopped mint. Select figs which are unblemished, just ripe but still have a slight resistance to the touch.

18 just ripe purple figs

250ml medium or dry sherry, Madeira or port wine

5 cardamom pods, broken

1/2 cinnamon stick

75g butter, cut into cubs

Clotted cream or formage frais

6 sprigs of mint

Slit 3 sharp cuts in each fig and push gently to separate the ‘petals’ .

In a large frying pan bring the sherry to the boil add the cardamom and cinnamon and boil hard for a minute or two. Add the fig and simmer for 2-3 minutes turning once. Lift the figs out and keep warm.

Return the frying pan to the heat and boil hard until reduced by 1/2 (about 5 minutes). Add the butter and continue boiling, beating all the time until a thick and a shiny sauce is achieved (about 1-2 minutes).

Pour over the figs, decorate with mint and serve with a dollop of cream, Creme Fraiche or pure vanilla ice cream.