As far as appetisers go, I think this is one of the prettiest I’ve seen; and tastiest, for that matter. If you happen to have some figs lying around, this is probably the best thing to do with them. If you don’t, then you should go get some, because fig season is almost over.

While I enjoy a nice ripe juicy fig on its own, its luscious sweetness perfectly paired with the chewiness of the flesh and the crunchiness of the seeds, I sometimes want to make them a bit fancier and this is my go to recipe for upgrading a fig. Also, it’s a pretty quick upgrade.

All you need to do is halve them, wrap some aluminium foil around them and roast them for a bit, after which they will sit pretty under the broiler, topped with goat cheese. In the end, every fig gets a walnut and a drizzle of honey. Presto appetiser!

Figs are also quite the superfood, they’re rich in antioxidants, fiber, vitamin B6, copper and potassium. So there, you pretty much don’t have any reason not to make this dish.

Roasted Figs with Goat Cheese

Serves 4 as an appetiser

8 figs

Olive oil, for drizzling

160g/5 oz goat cheese

8 walnuts, halved

Honey, for drizzling

Dried thyme, optional

Preheat your oven to 200C/400F. Wash the figs under cool water and then gently gently wipe dry. Halve the figs, then wrap the skins snuggly in aluminium foil. Place on a baking sheet, drizzle with a little olive oil and roast for about 8 minutes. Remove from the oven, discard the foil. Place on a baking sheet, top each fig half with a round of goat cheese and pop in the oven under the broiler for about 2-3 minutes, until cheese has started to melt. Remove from the oven and top each fig half with a walnut, drizzle with honey and serve. Sprinkle a bit of dried thyme on top if you have some on hand.