Roasted Yams and Fresh Figs with Goat Cheese
Roasted Yams with Fresh Figs and Goat Cheese
They’re here….! Yes, fresh figs have started to make their appearance in the veggie markets of my neighbourhood and I am in heaven. It’s funny, but for most of my life, I never really paid much attention to these delightful treats, until a very good friend of mine started bringing them, in various forms, to our pot-luck style parties. Well how can you not fall in love with fresh figs stuffed with goat cheese and wrapped in prosciutto, then grilled to perfection? My brain still goes crazy when I think about this recipe! Today however, I am not writing about my friend’s recipe, but one that Ottolenghi published in his amazing cookbook, “Jerusalem”. The first time I made this dish, I was stunned at how beautiful it was visually, and then I was bowled over by the flavours! Ottolenghi knows how to put together flavours and colours, and his recipes make my heart sing! I have modified his recipe slightly.
I am confident that you will love this recipe. The bold flavours of this dish are wonderful along side grilled turkey burgers, but I can see it being served with some barbequed chicken or steak as well.
If you are unfamiliar with balsamic cream, it is a balsamic reduction that can be purchased in most European delis or in the section of the grocery store where one would find the vinegars. Or you can make your own reduction.
Roasted Yams with Fresh Figs and Goat Cheese
Ingredients:
4 small yams (2 ¼ pounds)
5 tablespoons olive oil
12 green onions, halved lengthwise and cut into 11/2 inch segments
1 red chile, thinly sliced
6 ripe figs, quartered, lengthwise
5 ounces soft goat cheese
Maldon sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
Balsamic cream
Method:
Preheat oven to 475°
Wash yams and halve them lengthwise. Cut each piece into long wedges.
Mix yams with 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt and some black pepper.
Spread the wedges out, skin side down, on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Bake for about 25 minutes until soft, but not mushy.
Remove from the oven and leave to cool down.
Arrange the yam wedges on a serving platter.
Heat the remaining olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the green onions and chili and fry for 4 – 5 minutes, stirring often to make sure that the onions don’t burn.
Spoon the oil, onions, and chili over the yams.
Dot the figs among the yams and then drizzle over the balsamic cream. Crumble the goat cheese over top of the whole platter.
Serve at room temperature.
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42 Responses to “Roasted Yams and Fresh Figs with Goat Cheese”
Fresh figs are just not on my radar but I shall seek and find some to make this dish.
I hope you find some, because this is one of those, not- to- be- missed, recipes. 🙂
Love this salad, can’t wait for fresh figs so I can give this a try, All the flavors are earthy and delicious.
Yes, that’s a good word to describe it – earthy is what this dish is. Hope your figs arrive soon!
A perfect marriage on a plate!!! 😀😀
Ah yes, my vegetarian friend! I think you would love this, just eliminate the goat cheese because I believe that you don’t eat any cheese, right?
Oh no, I do eat goats cheese, I LOVE goats cheese 🙂
Oh, well then you will absolutely adore this recipe! I love goat cheese too and tend to eat it more than most other cheeses these days as it has no lactose in it.
Me too, I rarely eat other cheese, I love the mild flavour and especially when it melts slightly on roasted vegetables 🙂 big yum!!
Oh dear, you are making me very hungry!
Hee hee…
Look at those colors! I love how bright that bowl of veggies is, and how healthy! It’s no secret I love Jerusalem and Ottolenghi, but I have yet to make this dish. Must change that soon! Hope all is well, Julianna. xx
Oh Ngan, you must make this dish! I swear, you will be dreaming of it for days afterwards. All is well over here. Hope you are well too! 😀
We have the opposite season so our fig season is over. I bought figs for the first time in my life. They’re expensive here in New Zealand though. About $2US per fig. Is it the same over there?
Oh my goodness! That is very expensive. No, they don’t cost that much here. At the peak of the season, I can buy a nice little basket for about $4.00 Canadian. There may be anywhere from 8 to 10 figs in the basket. If you have a tree in your backyard, they don’t even cost anything! 😀 I really hope you enjoy them for the price you have paid. 😀
$4 for a basket! That would be lovely. I only bought 2 figs with my $4 and sliced them into quarters to make 8 appetisers. Lol, I would preferred to have been more generous with them though.
Nice salad! I love fresh figs and they just perfect with goat cheese:)
Yes, I think it is just one of those perfect food combinations. Glad you like the salad! 🙂
Love this salad! New and refreshing :).
Thanks Sonal! And vegetarian too, if you eat goat cheese. 🙂
your description of the recipe doesn´t promise too much – it looks and sounds absolutely amazing!
Hmmmm, maybe I should work on that more 🙂 . But it really is quite sensational! 😀
Oh not at all, Julianna, this was supposed to be a huge compliment 🙂 what I meant was that the description is as appetizing as I imagine it tastes! Sorry to have caused such a misunderstanding….have a good day!
LOL! No worries! You have a great day too! 🙂
What a great combination of flavors!
Thanks Nancy!
Such a beautiful salad Julianna… both visually and the flavour combination!
Thanks Margot! I thought it was beautiful, too!
Reblogged this on Chef Ceaser.
Thanks so much for the re-blog, Chef! 😀
Great little summery “salad” -sounds great!
Yup, it didn’t last very long over here! That’s a very good sign! 🙂
I am also a Jerusalem cookbook fan! All of Yotam Ottolenghi cookbooks are marvelous! I have made this salad before and it is delicious!
So glad to meet another fan of his cookbooks and to know that you loved this salad as much as me! 😀
I am definitely going to make this!!!! Yummy!!
I can’t wait to hear what you think of it, Serena! Let me know! 😀
You see, there are a lot of raisons why we all enjoy summer time… figs are among them! Your salad looks very yummy, never thought to eat figs with goat cheese, in Italy we eat often with prosciutto… thanks a lot for this idea, I’m going to try your recipe asap!
Hi Margy! Well I hope you get a chance to try the salad. And more importantly that you really love it. I love goat cheese with prosciutto too! So many good recipes with goat cheese, n’est-ce pas?
Mmmm looks beautiful, Julianna! I’m happy that figs are sold here too, and not very expensive as usual; I like combination of figs and goat cheese, but never tried it with sweet potatoes.. 🙂
What a beautiful dish, I’m sure it is delicious. I’ll be looking for figs in the market.
I hope you find your figs and get a chance to make this dish! It is so worth the hunt for figs! 😀
[…] Roasted Yams and Fresh Figs with Goat Cheese, a recent recipe of hers, just makes my mouth water! I told you she was amazing in the kitchen! And […]