A fresh fig cut open with a cross, filled with Roquefort and walnuts, roasted for ten minutes and served on arugula with a drizzle of balsamic honey.
These roasted figs come out of the oven steaming, their skins glossy, the Roquefort melted into the flesh and the walnuts still crunchy. Set on peppery arugula, they get a few drops of honey, balsamic vinegar and a touch of soy sauce. It’s a small appetizer for one, ready in 12 minutes, including 10 in the oven at 220 °C. The low-carb variation has a place among my keto dishes.
What Are Roasted Figs ?
A fresh fig is cut with a cross from the tip three-quarters of the way down, then filled with blue cheese and walnuts. A brief spell in a very hot oven softens it without making it collapse : that is what “ roasted ” means here.
Roquefort, a sheep’s milk blue cheese, brings saltiness and a slight bitterness to balance the sweetness of the fruit. Cool, peppery arugula contrasts with the warm fig.
The Inspiration for This Version
Figs and blue cheese are a classic cheese board pairing, often rounded out with walnuts and honey. This version takes that pairing into the oven and serves it as an appetizer on a bed of arugula.
Fresh figs are mainly available in summer and early fall. Choose ripe, fragrant figs that are still firm, with intact skins : they hold up better to the heat.
The Main Ingredients
For one serving, you need 1 fresh fig, 10 g of Roquefort or another fairly strong blue cheese, one walnut half broken into pieces and half a handful of arugula. The blue cheese has enough flavor that a little goes a long way.
The dressing combines 0.5 teaspoon of honey, the same amount of balsamic vinegar and just one drop of soy sauce, light or dark, or tamari. That drop adds a touch of umami without overpowering the cheese, which already provides saltiness in each bite.
A honey-flavored liquid sweetener can replace the honey in the same quantity. With this option, each serving contains 9 g of net carbs, mostly from the fig and balsamic vinegar.
Cooking Tips and Serving
Preheat the oven to 220 °C. Wash the fig, snip off the small stem with scissors if needed, then make two perpendicular cuts from the tip, stopping short of the base so the quarters stay attached. Tuck the cheese and walnut pieces into the cuts and roast for 10 minutes in a ramekin, or in a baking dish if you are making several.
While the fig roasts, mix the honey, balsamic vinegar and soy sauce without heating them, and arrange the arugula on a small plate. The fig is ready when it softens and the Roquefort starts to ooze. Place it on the arugula, drizzle drops of the dressing around it and serve immediately, before the leaves wilt.
For more low-carb ideas, browse all my keto recipes.
Ingredients
- 1 fig fresh, moderate in carbs
- 10 g Roquefort or another blue cheese
- 0.5 walnut
- 0.5 handful arugula
- 0.5 teaspoon honey or honey-flavored liquid sweetener
- 0.5 teaspoon balsamic vinegar moderate in carbs
- 1 drop soy sauce or tamari
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 220°C.
- Wash the fig. Trim off the small stem with scissors if needed. Cut down from the tip about three-quarters of the way through. Make a second cut perpendicular to the first to create four quarters that you can gently pull apart.1 fig
- Tuck pieces of cheese and walnut into the cuts. Roast the fig in the oven for 10 minutes. Use a ramekin or, if preparing several figs, a baking dish.10 g Roquefort, 0.5 walnut
- Meanwhile, mix the honey (or sweetener) with the balsamic vinegar and soy sauce. Arrange a bed of arugula on the plate.0.5 teaspoon honey, 0.5 teaspoon balsamic vinegar, 1 drop soy sauce, 0.5 handful arugula
- Place the fig on the arugula and drizzle drops of dressing around it.
