For me, fig season is a happy season. Black mission figs may be my favorite type, but I also adore brown turkey figs, which are more commonly found here in the South. I can’t walk past these beauties if I see them at a market—they will most certainly be coming home with me! I love them in salads, as a preserve, or fresh drizzled with raw honey and sprinkled with freshly crushed pepper. I also love them caramelized, which is what I do for this salad. The combination of sweet figs, bitter roasted radicchio, tangy feta, and sweet honey touches every flavor note on your palate.
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
What you need:
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided 1 pound fresh black mission figs, halved 4 small heads of radicchio quartered lengthwise, keeping the core intact 1/4 pound crumbled feta 1/2 cup raw honey 1/4 cup toasted hazelnuts, whole 2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper 1 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt
How to make it:
In a medium skillet, heat 2 table- spoons of olive oil over high heat. Add the figs, flesh side down, and let the figs caramelize for about a minute or two until they’re golden brown.
Turn them over and cook them for another minute, then remove the figs from the pan, and set them aside.
Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the pan and add the quartered radicchio, cut side down, and sear until golden brown. This should take no more than a minute.
Remove from the pan and set aside.
Assemble the salad on a large platter. Lay the figs and radicchio on the plate and sprinkle with the crumbled feta.
Drizzle the raw honey evenly over the salad. Sprinkle with the toasted hazelnuts, pepper, and salt.
NOTES Figs are in season two times a year— in the summertime around June and again in the fall from late August to early October. The varieties readily available in the United States are black mission figs, brown turkey figs, tiger figs, and champagne figs. You can’t go wrong using any of them!