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Fig & Walnut Jam

This jam is a fabulous addition to cheese platters or cheese plates and pairs especially nicely with cheeses such as Gruyère, Comté, Manchego, Istara (Ossau-Iraty), Parmigiano, Pecorino and even Brie. It’s also excellent with roasted turkey or pork (as well as on turkey and pork burgers!) and makes a killer grilled cheese with Taleggio and arugula.
Author: Nicki Sizemore

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups dried Black Mission figs (about 8-9 ounces), stems removed
  • 1 cup ruby port
  • ½ cup water
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup (preferably Grade B)
  • teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 2-3- inch strip orange zest (removed with a vegetable peeler)
  • ½ star anise (break a whole star anise in half)
  • 1 2-3- inch cinnamon stick
  • ½ bay leaf
  • ¼ cup toasted walnuts , chopped
  • Special Equipment: cheesecloth , butcher’s twine

Instructions

  • Coarsely chop the figs. In a small saucepan, combine the figs, port, water, maple syrup and salt. Place the orange zest, star anise, cinnamon stick and bay leaf in the center of a 5-inch square of cheesecloth; pull up the sides and tie with butcher’s twine to make a little packet (if you don’t have cheesecloth you can simply throw the spices in the pot, but it’s tough to fish everything out at the end). Put the packet in the saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook 30-35 minutes, stirring occasionally and breaking up the figs with the back of a spoon, until thickened (it should be the consistency of a loose jam). Remove the packet of spices. Smash the figs a bit more with the back of the spoon. Turn off the heat and stir in the walnuts. Let cool. Do Ahead: The jam can be stored in the refrigerator (covered) for up to a week. Bring to room temperature before serving.