FIGscally Fit Foodie is continuing for one more post, and today it’s with a minimal effort (and low number of ingredient) masterpiece that I refer to as Spiced Honey Fig Jam. The fig tree in my backyard was kind enough to provide me with an abundance of figs this season, so it seemed fitting to do a savory (see my last post about fig-braised beef) and a sweet preparation that went beyond the normal dehydration or just eating them straight up.
The figs on my tree have been ripening in my fridge for 2-3 days and, as you can see, they’re just about perfect. Very soft, but not so much that they’ve gone overboard (not mushy).
Naturally, honey and figs are a wonderful pairing. I probably could have just stopped there and been fine. But that would be too easy...I decided it needed a little sophistication and an unexpected pop of flavor. Drinking a chai tea earlier in the week gave me the idea of adding cardamom to the equation.
Cardamom is a wonderfully floral spice that is most often used in Indian cuisine. Chai tea, Indian rice pudding, and many savory Indian dishes contain this ingredient. The green pods (there are brown/black as well) are the optimal cardamom pods for culinary purposes, so stick with those if given the choice.
The outer shell (referred to as the husks) of the cardamom are thin and edible, although if you’re trying to grind them straight up, you will encounter issues with the grinder not breaking them down thoroughly. That being the case, it is best to toast the cardamom in the pods and then grind them slightly with a mortar and pestle prior to tossing them in to be completely ground up. So take your green cardamom pods, toss them into a skillet/pan for about a minute or two until they’re slightly brownish on the edges...shaking the pan occasionally to make sure they’re toasted on all sides. Then toss them into a mortar and grind them with the pestle. You should end up with something that looks very similar to this:
As you can see, it is a lot different looking than the original green pods. That’s because all the magic is hiding inside the pod and you’ve now released the goodness. Toss the green shells, being sure to remove the brown seeds/inside part of the cardamom. Toss all of this into a food processor with the honey and figs and a touch of water and give it a whir. That goes into a sauce pan (same one you used to toast the cardamom is fine) and is combined with lemon juice and is cooked for about 5-6 minutes on medium heat. You’re looking for a “jam” consistency. Watery will not work...something a little gel-like is perfect. Give it a taste to see if you need more honey. Wow, that’s good, huh?
You’ve just made something insanely good that took about 10 minutes combined. Not bad, huh? Serve with crackers, cheese (careful!), on wheat toast, or you know...on just about anything you want to taste better. Click here for the printable recipe or you can go to the recipe page for an online version of it (there’s a printable version linked on that page if you change your mind too). Enjoy this while the figs are in season!
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