Omar Allibhoy’s figs, ham and cheese on toast
Taken from his new cookbook, Spanish Made Simple: Foolproof Spanish Recipes for Every Day, this quick and easy party recipe by Omar Allibhoy is a brilliant twist on classic winter flavours. A plateful can be whipped
Ingredients
Serves 4 as tapas
100g cream cheese50g walnuts, halved4 slices rustic bread, toasted8 figsExtra virgin olive oil1tbsp brown sugarSplash of sherry vinegarPinch of sea salt8 thin slices Serrano home
Method
- Mix the cream cheese with three-quarters of the walnuts, crumbling them between your hands and beating them into the cheese with a fork. Spread generously over the bread.
- Open your figs by cutting a cross at the pointed end and opening them out like a flower with your fingers.
- Drizzle some olive oil into a pan over a medium heat and add the brown sugar.
- Add the figs and fry the bases only, without turning them; we only want to cook the bottoms of the figs. Watch the caramel that forms in the pan doesn’t burn.
- Add the sherry vinegar and turn off the heat.
- Place your hot figs over the toast and drizzle with the hot vinaigrette from the pan.
- Top with a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, a pinch of salt and slices of Serrano ham.
- Sprinkle with the remaining walnuts.
Read more: Bancone’s Trucioli Ondulati with cauliflower purée, veg crisps and truffle
