An altar to the fig

Lately, the perfect form of figs have been haunting me from their marked-down tubs at Tescos. Turkish sirens reduced to 50p for three. There is something almost taboo about their bruised black skin and fleshy inners. It seems a violation not to buy them before they fade.

Figs are needy little beauties requiring some form of devotion, at the least, some tender respect. The only recipe I knew off the top of my head was a salad made with jamon, butter beans, baby cos and quartered figs. But it's not salad weather.

Last winter, by the end, as I crawled out from the cave of my ubiquitous parka and into the glaring light of the (don't tell anyone) tanning salon for just a few sessions, to get some vitamin D, I stared in horror at my naked reflection. My wobbly tummy and thighs. I vowed not to let this happen again, to stop squirreling the winter away with dashes of cream, mountains of parmesan and mid-morning croissants.

Drizzle drizzle drizzle. My days are again encased by the bleak weeping cloud that is the Manchester sky. What to do with these figs?

A galette. Pastry, really good pastry. It seems like the perfect, decadent yet fragile altar to the sexy little figs. Because I only had 5 figs, I added some slices of apple and that damson jam I made. And already I am dispersing nibbles with sit-ups. One slice equals twenty sit-ups, twenty squats, ten leg lifts.
Perhaps it will work.

(Also, I made the tart with beautiful new season heritage apples as there was enough pastry to make one small tart (the fig) and one large (the apple). I paired the apple galette with some Bon Mamman peach jam.

Fig, apple and damson galette

(To make one large tart, serve with optional sit-ups)

1 1/2 c plain flour

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon fine polenta

pinch of salt

170g unslated butter cut into small squares and chilled briefly in the freezer (French President is brilliant)

6-7 tablespoons iced water

smear of damson jam (or any you fancy, marmalade would work)

about 10 figs, cut into slim wedges

some slices of apple (with a squeeze lemon juice to prevent browning)

sugar to sprinkle

Method:

Combine the flour, sugar, polenta and salt in a big bowl.

In a food processor, with the blade on, put in flour mix and add butter. Don't mix for too long, just until it forms crumbs, some larger bits of butter can remain.

Put the mix back into the bowl and add the water, one tablespoon at a time, combining with a fork until it forms a dough.

Shape the dough into a ball and cover in plastic and refridgerate for one hour or overnight.

Heat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.

Line a baking tray with parchment.

Roll out your pastry on a lightly floured surface into a roughly round shape about 30cm in diameter.

Transfer the pastry onto the baking tray and smear some jam in a circle leaving a 5cm edge for folding later. 

Working from the outer edge of the jam circle, place slices of fig then apple until you get to the centre.

Fold the edges over and sprinkle the exposed fruit with a little more sugar.

Bake for 40-50 mins.