Fig and orange mascarpone recipe: a short vermouth trick
Chef Joanne Weir poaches dried figs in sweet vermouth rather than wine, then pairs them with honeyed mascarpone. The short syrup is the whole point.
Dried Mission figs, simmered briefly in a sweet vermouth syrup and served over honeyed, orange-scented mascarpone: the trick is poaching the fruit for just long enough to plump it, not long enough to dull the vermouth.
The recipe comes from the American chef Joanne Weir, published by the California growers' group Valley Fig Growers, who promote dried Mission figs as a year-round alternative to fresh ones. Weir's version serves eight; this is scaled for four.
Ingredients for the fig and orange mascarpone recipe
Vermouth's aromatics are fragile. A few seconds of heat are enough, and a minute too many ruins them.
- 225g dried Mission figs
- 1 strip of lemon peel, about 5cm, white pith removed
- 50g caster sugar
- 350ml water
- 120ml sweet vermouth
- 90g mascarpone
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1/2 tsp orange zest, finely grated
Method
- Soak the figs and lemon peel in cold water, covered, in the fridge overnight. Dried figs rehydrate unevenly if you rush them with heat; a long cold soak lets the centre catch up with the skin before the pan ever gets involved.
- Drain the figs and lemon peel, then put them in a saucepan with the 350ml of fresh water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes, until the figs are soft but still holding their shape.
- Stir in the sugar and boil for 2 minutes, then add the vermouth, bring back to the boil and take the pan off the heat immediately. Vermouth's aromatics are fragile; a few seconds of direct heat are enough to fold them into the syrup without cooking them away.
- While the figs cool slightly, beat the mascarpone with the honey and orange zest until smooth. The honey loosens the cheese to a spoonable texture; the zest does more perfuming than the strip of peel in the syrup, because its oils are released fresh, not simmered.
- Spoon the orange mascarpone into bowls, top with the warm figs, and finish with a little of the syrup. Serve at once: the contrast between warm fruit and cold cheese is the whole dish, and it narrows fast.
If the figs are fresh, not dried
Skip the overnight soak and the first simmer. Halve a dozen fresh figs, warm them in the sugar-and-vermouth syrup for five minutes instead of fifteen, and stop as soon as they colour at the edges.
Pour a small glass of the same sweet vermouth on ice alongside it. It is cheaper than a dessert wine and does the same job: it keeps arguing the orange and the honey into the same sentence.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use fresh figs instead of dried for this fig and orange mascarpone recipe? Yes, see the note above: skip the soak, halve the simmer to five minutes, and stop as soon as the cut edges colour.
What can replace the sweet vermouth? A sweet Marsala or a tawny port works, though both are sweeter, so cut the sugar in the syrup by about a third.
Can I make it a day ahead? The figs and syrup keep, covered, for two days; warm them gently before serving. Make the mascarpone fresh, as citrus zest loses its lift overnight.
Another citrus-led dessert from the kitchen: lemon olive oil cake recipe.
