Fig and Pecorino Crostini

A couple of weeks ago I made this appetizer for a dinner party.   Ordinarily I spend so much of my effort on the main course that I often feel like starters are an afterthought.  This time I planned ahead of time and found this recipe from Giada de Laurentiis.   It was a hit and may become my go-to starter in the future. 

Pecorino Romano with Apples and Fig Jam

Courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis, Food Network

(4-6 servings)

6 dried figs, halved

1/2 cup simple syrup*

2 tablespoons brandy

1/4 chopped toasted hazelnuts

24 baguette slices

Olive oil for drizzling

1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano 

1 large apple (Granny Smith or Braeburn), thinly sliced into 24 slices

1/4 pound chunk Pecorino Romano, for shaving 24 pieces

-- Preheat oven to 375F

-- Place a small saucepan over medium heat.  Add the figs, simple syrup, and brandy.  

-- Bring mixture to a simmer then turn off heat and let sit for 10 minutes.  

-- Place the fig mixture and hazelnuts in food processor and blend until pureed.  Then set aside. 

-- Place baguette slices on a heavy baking sheet.  Drizzle each slice with olive oil.

-- Top each slice with 1 teaspoon of grated Pecorino Romano cheese.
-- Bake until the cheese is melted and golden, about 7 minutes. 

-- Top each slice of toast with 2 teaspoons of fig jam, a slice of apple, and a slice of shaved Pecorino Romano.  

-- Transfer toasts to a serving platter and serve.  

*Simple Syrup

1/2 cup water

1 cup sugar

-- In a saucepan combine water and sugar over medium heat. 

-- Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes, until the sugar has dissolved. 

-- Take pan off of heat and let cool.  Any extra cooled syrup can be saved in an airtight container in the refrigerator.  

Just a couple of notes:

-- I didn't bother to toast the hazelnuts:  I was too lazy.  I am sure that if I had, the flavor would have been even better, but I honestly have burned so many nuts in the past, that I always skip this step in recipes now.   The hazelnuts I used were so yummy that the jam came out lovely without toasting them.

-- Hazelnuts are also called "filberts", so try looking for them under either name at your grocery store.  

-- I suggest that you add only about 3/4 of the simple syrup to the food processor.  See how thick it comes out first.  It's a lot easier to make it thinner, if you need to, than to thicken it up again.  Also note that as the jam cools, it thickens up.  Remember, the consistency should be that of a jam.  

-- I used a Granny Smith apple; they're my favorite anyway, and just really lend themselves in both sweetness and crispness to this recipe.

This appetizer was so good that my guests gobbled up every single one of them.  I also made extra jam which I've been using on toast in the morning as well as on our pork chops the other night (I used it on my Figgy Pork recipe).   I think I might even make a batch of this at Christmas time, put it in a pretty jar, and use it as my hostess gift when attending holiday parties.