Fresh figs are almost a forbidden pleasure, considering that they’re one of the most expensive fruits on the market. If you’re only going to sample a few this season, be sure to ravish them like they deserve on your first tasting: Stuff them into your mouth, unadorned, and let the juice stream down your face before catching it and licking it out of your palms like an animal. Once you’ve gotten that out of the way, try this bruschette at the Downtown wine bar enoteca; with just a few ingredients carefully chosen to amp up the fig flavor, it’s mouthwateringly savory and sweet.
Fig-ure it out: Bruschette according to enoteca’s recipe is the savory way to go.
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And let’s clear up the whole pronunciation thing, once and for all: bruschetta (which is the singular form of bruschette) does not have a “sh” sound in the middle—the Italian sounds more like broo-skeh-tah. It’s toast drizzled with olive oil, plus salt and pepper (and often rubbed with garlic), and toppings range from white beans, tomato mixtures, spicy peppery spreads, sometimes even meats. The fig recipe’s particular virtue is that it pairs smashingly with wine; enoteca’s Marisa Catalano recommends Tenuta S. Anna Prosecco Frizzante, a vini spumanti, or La Cappuccina Soave “Fontego,” a 100 percent garganega varietal.
enoteca’s Fresh Fig Bruschette
6 fresh Mission figs, stems removed
1 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
6 slices ciabatta bread
extra virgin olive oil, to drizzle
salt
fresh ground black pepper
1/2 cup crumbled Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 handful baby arugula
extra virgin olive oil, for garnish
Cut figs into thick slices. In a small mixing bowl, combine fig slices, extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper. With a fork, mash ingredients together until it reaches a chunky consistency.
Drizzle sliced ciabatta with extra virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill on a panini grill until lightly golden and crispy.
To assemble bruschette, smear the fig mixture on a slice of the toasted bread, top with some of the crumbled Parmigiano-Reggiano and some of the baby arugula. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil right before it is served. Serves six.