Sexy Fig Salad

When I first announced to a few select friends that I was the proud new mama to a darling Brown Turkey fig sapling, naturally, they were overjoyed for me.

And they started sending me recipes. (Yeah, they love me.)

Thanks to my MEF (most excellent friend, to you), I discovered this recipe by Jamie Oliver. Really, I’m not even sure you can call it a recipe since it is so darn easy to put together. I whipped this little masterpiece together when I got home from work yesterday and sat gleefully on the couch to dig into it.

And I now know why Jamie calls it “sexy”. I never really thought about it, because he is always using that word in reference to food, but this time.... well, I understand.

See, this could be a knife-and-fork salad. Because the figs aren’t truly separated into pieces, just fanned out on gorgeous display, looking all sensual....and the prosciutto is left in long, leggy strips...which, honestly, you just can’t eat gracefully.

This is how it went.....

I started with the plate on my lap, delicately tucking into the salad with a knife and fork.....

And very gradually, I moved from a sitting position to being semi-reclined, propped up on one elbow.... knife and fork thrown to the wind.... lifting beautiful long drippy pieces of prosciutto and dangling them over my mouth.... picking up blushing segments of fig, nibbling the rosie flesh from the skin, then finishing that off as well.... wiping the luscious dressing from my chin with the back of my hand.

And then I paused..... and I looked down at myself. And I laughed out loud.

And my five year old son says to me, “Mommy WHAT are you EATING??”

I think I blushed.

You just can’t beat walking to your front door after a long day at work, plucking three fresh figs off the tree on your porch, and turning them into this sexy little salad.

Try it...I dare you. Just don’t do it in front of your husband. Well, you know, unless you’re in the mood.

This is the excerpt from Jamie’s article. I just love the way he talks, so I had to include it verbatim.

One thing I do is to criss-cross the figs but not quite to the bottom - 1 fig per person is always a good start. Then, using your thumbs and forefingers, squeeze the base of the fig to expose the inside. At this point you'll think, 'Oooh, that looks nice, I think I'm quite clever ...' or at least I do. More importantly, it allows your dressing to get right into the middle of the fig. All these little things really help to make a salad special. Simply place the figs in a dish, weave around 1 slice of Parma ham or prosciutto per fig, throw in some slices of buffalo mozzarella and rip over some green or purple basil. Mix 6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, 3 tablespoons of lemon juice, a tablespoon of good honey and some sea salt and freshly ground black pepper together in a bowl and drizzle everything with this dressing. As far as salads go, it's pretty damn sexy.I agree completely, don't you?