Figs with Tallegio Cheese and Parma Ham

It was Stephen’s birthday yesterday so we decided to cook a special dinner at home. He requested roast beef as that’s what he always had for his birthday dinner when he was small. He also requested a starter which was quite difficult to decide upon as roast beef is quite heavy and we didn’t want to ruin our appetites. I eventually decided on figs as they are in season and I’ve only cooked with them once before.

I bought the figs yesterday and they were very fresh and perfectly ripe. This was a very easy dish to put together; simply make a cross in the figs, add the cheese and then wrap in the ham. Cook for 8-10 minutes and serve with some baby leaves and a balsamic dressing (1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar and four teaspoons honey heated and reduced).

I’m not really a big fan of fruit and cheese and even less of a balsamic vinegar fan but this worked well together. The figs, although sweet, have a savoury flavour to them that complements the cheese and is well balanced by the balsamic dressing.

This was followed by roast beef, yorkshire pudding, roast potatoes, cabbage and butternut. I’ve not included a picture because they didn’t come out brilliantly, possibly due to the Champagne and wine that accompanied the food 🙂