What do you do when a collection of luscious Henry Mooresque-shaped fruits sit seductively winking from the counter?
This year’s first figs are bountiful here in Abruzzo at the moment. I’d been enjoying a recently presented windfall of them for breakfast with yoghurt and roasted almonds, but then what seemed another lorry-load arrived, and I realised that I had to coax my nil-by-fig partner to make any sort of inroads into them, and even I personally don’t really like fig jam…
In true Abruzzo style, we couldn’t let them go to waste…we’re still getting through last year’s jars of baby figs preserved in a simple syrup that are beautiful with a medium pecorino cheese, so that route was out…
I did try roasting some figs with fat Abruzzo sausages and a dribble of peperoncini oil to make a sweet, rich sauce that glistened over whole-wheat pasta; very nice, but during Italy’s hottest summer in 10 years, perhaps a little much for current weather. I did though want to find something sweetish to do with them outside the much-hated ‘jam option’. After much searching on Google, I found a link on an Italian cooking portal, Cibochepassione, with an article listing some traditional recipes from Chieti, including one for a Fresh Fig, Orange & Fennel Seed tart! Jackpot! A combination of exquisite flavours that would work well in the summer heat and alongside a large glass of chilled pecorino, and that would not become too sweet or sharp. Did it tempt the nil-by-fig partner … you bet!
2023 Tart/Cookie Update!
Do try these out using the upside-down technique that seems to be taking cooking sites by storm; it really works with this recipe! Instead of making 1 tart, cut out large circles. On baking parchment on your baking tray, add a couple of teaspoons of the syrup onto the paper (don’t worry if it runs a little; the other cookies will absorb it), add a sprinkle of fenugreek seeds, lay the thinly sliced orange on top, then on top of the orange, tower the slice of fig. Finally, add your cut-out pie crust over the top, press down around your precious contents, and bake until golden. Let cool, peel off the paper, and tada: a little September sun cookie! I used brown sugar for this version.
Chieti Fig Orange & Fennel Seed Tart Recipe
Ingredients
200 g Flour
1 whole egg & 1 egg yolk
100 g butter
200 g caster sugar
3 oranges
1 k of fresh figs, washed and peeled
2 tsps fennel seeds
Method
Sift the flour onto a pastry board and make a well in the centre; add the eggs, butter, and half the sugar, then knead together. Let rest in the fridge.
Pierce the rind of the oranges with a fork and boil in water for a couple of minutes. Repeat this boiling 3 times, changing the water each time. Dry the oranges and cut them into thin slices without removing the skin.
Put the orange slices in a saucepan with the remaining sugar and half a glass of water. Cover and cook over low heat for ten minutes. Drain the slices from the syrup.
Roll out your dough to fit a lined baking tray. Cover the dough with orange slices and slices of your peeled figs. Pour the syrup over the fruits and sprinkle with fennel seeds.
Bake at 180 C for about forty-five minutes.
Serve with vanilla ice cream.
Author: Sam Dunham
Sam is a freelance SEO content creator and IGCSE Geography and English teacher in Rome. She also runs the Life In Abruzzo Cultural Association, sharing stories and insights about this captivating region. Alongside raising a teenager, Sam hosts guests at her family’s traditional home, the Little House of the Firefly in Abruzzo, offering a warm welcome and insider tips on local culture, food, and hidden gems.
I am going to try this!!! it looks delicious!
Let us know what you think… it’s quite rich but refreshing at the same time somehow
made this today finally! I didn't quite use that many figs or oranges… in fact I only had 1 orange, so I used 1 lemon as well. I had about 8 figs. Turned out to be plenty on a round pie pan.
I loved it!
The fennel seeds made it perfect.
Great recipe. Thanks!
So glad you like it, the fennel seeds do seem to add something don't they!