Raspberry and Fig Gratin

Ever since one of my coworkers mentioned that she had a backyard fig tree I've been gently hinting -- and nudging, or even outright nagging her -- for figs. "Are they ripe yet?" I've casually asked at least once a week for the past eight weeks.

The figs are finally ripe and I'm the lucky recipient of a basket of them.  I'm thrilled because I never see figs for sale at the farmers' market Baltimore, and while I do occasionally see them at the supermarket, those are figs that were picked green many days ago. They are nowhere near as sweet and delicious as a fig picked fully ripe from a tree and eaten within a day. (Or, as with many of the figs I received, eaten almost immediately.)

A gratin is a good way to accentuate all that is good about the fig. Run for five minutes under a broiler, the figs become soft and voluptuous, and sweeter. The raspberries are slightly jammy, and the crème fraîche and brown sugar melt and combine into a delicious sauce.  

This is adapted from a Jeremiah Tower recipe found in Cooking with the New American Chefs. This is almost more method than recipe and these are the amounts I used for two servings, made in an 8" gratin dish.

Raspberry and Fig Gratin

1/2 pint raspberries
5 or 6 figs, halved
1/4 cup (or more) crème fraîche or mascarpone
1 to 2 tablespoons brown sugar

1. Scatter the raspberries in the bottom of the gratin dish. Spread the crème fraîche on top of the raspberries (this will be easier to do if you let the crème fraîche come to room temperature) and sprinkle the brown sugar on top of the crème fraîche. Arrange the fig halves on top of that. 

2. Run the figs under the broiler, about five or six inches from the broiler, for about five minutes at which point the gratin and the figs should be bubbling. 

3. Let it sit for a short while before serving.
 

Comments

[pigtown*design]

YUM!!!! I adore figs!

[adele]

I've seen a version of this with mixed berries, but with figs? Genius!

I know the Haymarket sometimes has figs. I'll have to check the next time I go...

[lisa (Homesick Texan)]

I never quite knew what to do with figs, but this is an excellent start.

[roopa]

Julie, that looks wonderful. Your photos always leave me drooling (and hungry!).

[The Food Hunter]

What a delicious way to use figs.

[claudia (cook eat FRET)]

i'm not sure if we can be friends anymore... i am too envious.

i want fresh fiiiiiiiiiiigs...

(sulking)

btw - didju ever buy any bottarga?

[heather]

i saw this on tastespotting... i couldn't get over the colors! it looks heavenly!

[Esi]

I wish I had seen this recipe yesterday!! I just picked up a ton of figs and raspberries at the farmers market yesterday, but I used the figs to make a jam. What a lovely dish!

[Lydia]

You have a source for figs? How lucky! I'm like you -- I eat them when I'm on the way home from the market, so there are never enough left to cook.

[Zoë François]

This is gorgeous and you are SO lucky to have a generous friend with a fig tree!

[Olga]

I wish I had a co-worker with a fig tree :)

The dessert looks amazing!

[michelle]

You have me drooling all over my keyboard looking at those figs!! What a great way to serve them too - I'm trying this next time (btw - that mussel dish? divine!!) I can find them at the farmer's market - and you are oh so right about the supermarket figs!

[Denise]

Beautiful Pictures! What camera R u using ? TQ

[Dolores]

I made this for an (indulgent) breakfast this morning, sprinkled with a handful of granola when it emerged from the oven. Oh. My. GAWD. good!

[Liz]

Do you have an email I can use to contact your. I would love to refer you to be a featured publisher for foodbuzz. Your blog really has it all, its quite nice.

[Hillary]

Figs are so pretty, especially in your dish! I have to try a fig!

[Dara]

I could lick the screen -this looks luscious. Makes me want to grow figs in my backyard.

[Anne]

I need to get me a coworker with a fig tree. Figs and creme fraiche are a combination I'd never think up yet they sound like such a great match. That desert sounds delectable and so easy too. A winner.

[Terry B]

Something so beautiful and luscious sounding should not be so easy. Nicely done, Julie.

[ann]

Oh my dear lord Julie... It's been too long since I've had the chance to comment on just how beautiful your pitures have gotten. I'm almost more enamoured by the "thought" of this gratin than by the actuality. But, given the choice between a picture and the food, I'd definitely choose your gratin! Gorgeous!

[Julie]

pigtown, me too! And I feel lucky because this is the first year I've ever had them in any quantity.

Adele, I think gratins like this are a great way to eat fruits and berries. I especially like them because they don't heat up the kitchen as much as making a tart or a crumble would.

Lisa, funny, I always think that there's lots of things to do with figs. Maybe that's because I've spent years looking at recipes but not having a source of figs.

Roopa, aw, thanks!

Food Hunter, it was easy and delicious. A favorite combination of mine.

Claudia, I haven't bought the bottarga yet because I haven't arranged a time for my sister-in-law's family to come over. They're big on all things Italian and I think they'd be an appreciative audience. But I definitely will be buying it.

Heather, thanks. Figs are pretty fruit, aren't they?

Lydia, you get figs at your market? Dag! Why aren't they at my market?

Zoe Francois, I consider this fig connection very, very lucky!

Olga, the fig tree was an unanticipated job perk but a very good one.

Michelle, last week I was out of town and actually bought figs at the grocery store. They tasted like cardboard. Terrible! I ate one and threw the rest away.

Denise, thanks! I use a Nikon D50.

Dolores, that is such an EXCELLENT IDEA! Yum! I'll bet that would also be really good with Greek yogurt instead of creme fraiche.

Hillary, I agree about figs being pretty. I love the way they look.

Dara, I think you SHOULD grow figs in your backyard!

Anne, I'm thrilled to have this source of figs!

TerryB, don't you like it though when something is both easy and delicious? It's one of my favorite combinations.

Ann, thank you. And this was better in person than in picture.

[Tiny Banquet]

This looks GOOD. I always hesitate before buying figs because so often they've turned out to be over-ripe or just lousy — you're lucky to have a reliable source!

[maggie]

oh wow, amazing. The things we miss out on living in a city without fig trees...

[Peter]

Now those are ripe figs...can't be beat!

[Botacook]

I love this recipe - raspberries and figs in a gratin, yummy!

[Mandy]

I love love love fig, and yet I have never purchased it and cooked with it. This is an inspiration!