Baked Figs

This recipe is taken from Leiths Vegetable Bible

290ml red wine

45g soft light brown sugar

2 strips of thinly pared lemon zest

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

A pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

4 large or 8 small figs

290ml double cream

1. Preheat the oven to 170C/325F/gas mark 3.
2. Put the wine, sugar, lemon zest, cinnamon and nutmeg into a saucepan. Bring to the boil and reduce by half.
3. Meanwhile, wash the figs and cut off the stalks. Cut the figs in half and place, cut side up, in a single layer in a shallow proof dish.
4. Pour over the spiced wine and cover with kitchen foil. Bake in the centre of the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or until the figs have softened.
5. Remove the 2 tablespoons of the spiced wine from the dish and allow to cool.
6. Whip the cream to soft peaks and fold in the reserved cooled, spiced wine.
7. Serve the figs warm with the pink cream.