Grilled Figs with Shaoxing Dressing | Ottolenghi

The grilled figs with Shaoxing dressing is a variation to the figs with basil, goat cheese and pomegranate vinaigrette. They have so much in common: recipes from the same chef, summer figs, cheese of sorts and finished with a dressing. If you think pomegranate vinaigrette is out in the left field, wait until you hear about the Shaoxing dressing.

Shaoxing wine is a common Chinese drinking and/or cooking wine, fermented from rice. Think of it as the equivalence to a Japanese sake and mirin. If you don’t have Shaoxing wine, sake, mirin, as well as dry sherry, can be substituted. Otherwise, consider finding the likes of Shaoxing cooking wine, which is lower in alcohol, to make the dressing. It generally comes in a red label.

I need the nudge from Ottolenghi in order to experiment with this dressing because it’s so unusual — yet surprisingly delicious. Who’d come up with that? This is what he says about the recipe in Flavor:

” On paper it may not sound like it would work, but the combination of figs, Chinese rice wine, and ricotta is truly marvelous. The dish is a fine balance of sweet and savory, so it’s important that your figs are ripe and sweet. If they aren’t, increase the amount of maple syrup a little.”

From Yotam Ottolenghi’s Flavor

There are tons of flavor in the grilled and marinated figs. They remind me of figs in a fig jam, except better, less sweet and more complex. More than that, they are cut in halves with the depth of flavor, deriving from hours, if not days of marinating. In fact, the figs can be made ahead, up to 3 days, or fermented in the fridge, up to 3 weeks, in the Shaoxing dressing.

Besides using the marinated figs in a salad, they make a great addition to a cheese board. Well, the idea of cooking up a tray of ripe figs and let them slowly ferment is appealing. That way, I can enjoy them longer — and extend the fig season for a few more weeks.

Other than the Shaoxing wine, the dressing ingredients include a handful of staple items: soy sauce, maple syrup, balsamic vinegar and olive oil. To add a twist, Ottolenghi infuses the olive oil with lemon peel and red chiles (both fried briefly until fragrant) for about 30 minutes, or overnight. Yet again, Ottolenghi finds more ways to dial up the flavor quotient. Why not?

If you have extra time, grilling and marinating the figs certainly add another layer of flavor over fresh figs. This recipe can be a fun summer cooking project as time seems stretchable when the day is long.

“When the sun is shining I can do anything; no mountain is too high, no trouble is too difficult to overcome.”

Wilma Rudolph

Print Recipe

Grilled Figs with Shaoxing Dressing | Yotam Ottolenghi

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 8 ripe purple figs, halved (320g)
• ~ FOR THE DRESSING:
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 2½ tbsp maple syrup
• 2 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine (or pale dry sherry)
• 2½ tsp Chinkiang vinegar (or half the amount of balsamic vinegar)
• ~ FOR THE INFUSED OIL:
• 1/4 cup/ 60ml olive oil
• 2 red chillies, finely sliced into rounds (20g) (I use shishito pepper)
• 1 lemon, finely shave the peel to get 5 strips
• ~ FOR THE SALAD:
• 3 cups/ 60g arugula
• 1/2 cup/ 140g ricotta
• red pepper, optional

Instructions

1

Preheat the oven to the highest broil setting. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, make sure there is no overhanging parchment that could burn under the boiler.

2

BROIL AND MARINATE THE FIGS: In a medium bowl, toss the figs with the soy sauce and 1 1/2 tbsp (or 4 1/2 tsp, not all) of the maple syrup, then arrange, cut-side up and spaced apart, on the prepared baking sheet. Place on the top rack of the oven and roast for 12 minutes, until the figs are soft and caramelized but still holding their shape. Return the figs and cooking juices to the bowl and add the Shaoxing wine, vinegar, and remaining 1 tbsp maple syrup. Mix gently, then set this dressing aside for at least 1 hour (or up to overnight) for the flavors to come together. The figs can be prepared ahead for up to 3 days and kept in the fridge (but bring them back to room temperature before you assemble the salad). You can even leave them in the fridge for up to 3 weeks to ferment (or at least become a little funky).

3

FRY THE CHILES AND LEMON PEEL AND INFUSE THEM IN OIL: Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan on medium heat and, once hot, add the chiles and fry for 3 minutes, stirring to separate the slices. Add the lemon peel and fry for 30 seconds until fragrant, then immediately pour into a heatproof bowl and set aside to infuse for at least 30 minutes (or up to overnight).

4

ASSEMBLE THE SALAD: Arrange the arugula on a platter and top with the figs and dressing. Dot with spoonfuls of the ricotta. Finish with the infused oil, chiles and lemon peel, and serve at once.

Notes

Adapted from Yotam Ottolenghi's "Flavor"