At the end of this October it is still so warm that even my second harvest of figs keeps ripening slowly. I am not usually that lucky in the cool Dutch autumn. But these October figs are not as big, sweet and juicy as the summer figs. So now I prefer to poach them gently in some syrup to make them taste a bit fuller and sweeter instead of eating them fresh. I serve the poached figs with shiso sugar
This time I let some of the last red shiso (aka shiso /赤紫 /あかしそ）leaves of the season infuse the poaching liquid for some extra flavour. It is always difficult to explain what shiso tastes like exactly. I can only come up describing it as a mix of mint, basil, cinnamon and aniseed. This complex flavor goes well with sweet figs and gives this dessert a little edge.
My purple shiso plant is also at the end of its tether but still has some spears with small pink flowers. To preserve that special shiso flavor for the winter I make a simple pink shiso sugar and sprinkle it over my figs just before serving
Poached figs with shiso sugar
Serves 4-6
125 g (½ cup) sugar
500 g (17 oz) figs
5-6 purple shiso leaves
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp crème fraîche
shiso leaf or flowers to garnish
Shiso sugar
125 g (½ cup) sugar
6-8 purple shiso leaves, torn into pieces
½ tsp lemon juice
For the shiso sugar, place the 125 g sugar with the shiso leaves in a small food processor. Pulse a few times so that the leaf is finely chopped and mixed with the sugar. Spread out in a baking tin, drizzle with lemon and mix well. The acid will make the sugar turn pink. Spread out evenly again.
Put the baking tin in the oven and leave at 30°C / 86°F to dry completely for ± 3-4 hours. Break up the sugar regularly. Store in a air tight jar.
For the poached figs, place the 125 g sugar, 60 ml (¼ cup) water and the lemon juice in a pan in which te figs fit snugly next to each other. Nestle the shiso leaves between the figs. Bring to the boil over low heat and simmer gently with the lid on the pan for ± 20 min. or until just soft. Larger figs need about 30 min.
Turn off the heat and let cool completely. The figs will reabsorb some of the poaching liquid.
Bring the cooled figs back to the boil over low heat and simmer gently for ± 15 min. (small figs) or ± 20 min. (large figs). Let cool completely in the syrup again. Mix some of the syrup with the crème fraîche. Divide the figs over bowls and pour over some syrup. Spoon some of the crème fraîche in the bowls and sprinkle with some shiso sugar. Garnish with some shiso leaves or flowers if desired.
Check these other recipes I made with figs or shiso!
toasted fig leaf crème brûlée with blackcurrants
Aka shiso syrup, aka shiso vinegar and yukkari
