Butter Roasted Figs

We removed the stem from ripe figs. We cut an incision in the tops and stuffed in a pat of butter. We put the figs into the 600°F oven away from the fire. We cooked them for five minutes, rotated them and cooked them five minutes more. The figs charred in the heat. They picked up a light smoke from the burning wood. We let the figs cool in the roasting pan. Then we glazed them in the fig-butter syrup which exuded from them during the cooking process. We seasoned them with several flakes of smoked Maldon salt. We served a spoonful of cold concentrated minus 8 vinegar on the side. The figs were just ok. They could have been riper. Just putting something into a wood fired oven does not make it fabulous. Time to look at the process. And the results. The roasted fig butter was something special. The roasted figs may be the by-product. There has to be something we can do to make them better. Maybe puree them with a more intense vinegar or glaze them with a bit of honey to add more sweetness. On the other hand, the smoky fig-butter is beautiful just the way it is.