How to make a fig and goat’s-cheese galette — and a fig creme brûlée for pudding

‘Apart from their delicious flavour, figs are unique because they’re a cluster of flowers and seeds, rather than a true fruit,' says Melanie Johnson, our kitchen garden cook.

A fig and lavender creme brûlée is one of Melanie's favourites:

'Pour 250ml of double cream and 125ml of whole milk into a saucepan and heat until near boiling, remove from heat, add a handful of lavender flowers and leave to steep, checking every 10 minutes until the cream is lightly flavoured,' she says.

'Pass through a sieve, then reheat the cream and pour over five egg yolks whisked with 50ml runny honey. Dice one fig per buttered ramekin, then pour over the lavender-infused mixture almost to the brim. Place in a dish, pour around boiling water and bake for 30 minutes — then chill for at least two hours and up to 24.

'To serve, sprinkle the top with sugar, then use either a grill or use a burner to ‘brûlée’ the top and serve with fig slices and decorated with lavender.'

For a more savoury take on the fig, though, the recipe below is a certain winner.

Recipe: Fig and goat’s-cheese galette with thyme and honey

Ingredients

Serves 4

For the dough

• 200g plain flour
• A pinch of salt
• 115g cold butter
• 3–4tbspn ice water

For the filling

• 8 fresh figs, sliced
• 100g goat’s cheese, crumbled
• 4tbspn runny honey
• Fresh thyme
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1tbspn caster sugar

Method

Add the flour and pinch of salt to a large bowl and rub in the butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the water, a tablespoon at a time, and bring the dough together in your hands. Place it on a piece of baking paper with a second one on top. Roll it out to a 30cm (12in) circle and refrigerate, still in the paper, for half an hour.

Preheat your oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4.

Peel back the top layer of baking paper. Arrange the fig slices in the centre of the dough leaving a 5cm (2in) edge. Crumble over the goat’s cheese, drizzle over the honey and scatter with the fresh thyme leaves. Carefully fold the edges of the pastry inwards creating a pleat as you go round. Brush the edges with beaten egg and sprinkle with the sugar so it caramelises.

Bake the galette for 25–30 minutes.

Serve as a starter or a pudding — it makes the perfect light lunch or Sunday supper, paired with a lightly dressed salad.

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