LAWRENCE MURPHY: Jammy figs for a simple dessert

There is something quite beautiful about a fig with its curvy shape and deep purple colour.

If one of our suppliers just mentions them I have to buy at least a kilo to munch on as I decide how to get them on the menu.

They are fantastic as a starter with some thinly sliced Serrano ham or as a topping for a pizza with crumbly goats cheese.

The almost jammy centre makes them ideal for a simple dessert, drizzled with honey with a spoonful mascarpone.

It is with this idea that the following dessert came about, replacing the mascarpone with yoghurt and making an iced parfait.

I’m sure parfaits were invented when a chef forgot to put gelatine in a mousse and just froze the result.

Buy figs that are ripe as once they are picked you will have difficulty to ripen them any more.

Ingredients

1 egg white

35g sugar

125ml plain yoghurt

50ml double cream

8 figs

Honey

Method

1. Whisk the egg white with an electric whisk for three minutes.

2. Continue to whisk and slowly add

the sugar until the white becomes

firm.

3. In a separate bowl whisk the

cream until soft peaks form.

4. Add the yoghurt to the cream

and fold in.

5 Fold in the whisked egg white.

6 Pipe into four moulds and freeze

for at least four hours.

7 Remove the parfait from the

moulds and put onto four plates.

Cut the figs in half and arrange on

the plates. Drizzle with honey and

serve.