With Ireland’s fig season spanning May through August, these fresh, sweet fruits are the perfect accompaniment to any summer meal. Pick up some figs from the market and participate in your first Fig Friday by enjoying them in these sweet and savoury dishes.

BREAKFAST — Buttermilk Pancakes with Figs and Honey

INGREDIENTS:

130g plain white flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

Pinch of salt

35g unrefined golden caster sugar

350ml buttermilk

50g melted unsalted butter

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 medium free range egg, beaten

Vegetable Oil

4 Figs

Honey, to serve

METHOD:

1. Sieve the baking powder, flour and salt into a large mixing bowl before adding the sugar and stirring to ensure all the dry ingredients are well combined. Create a well in the centre.
2. Add the buttermilk, vanilla, melted butter, and beaten egg to another mixing bowl and whisk until well combined.
3. Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, being sure to whisk along the way. You should end up with a thick and smooth batter. Allow the batter to rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
4. While the batter is resting, grease a frying pan with oil and heat it over medium heat. Add batter to the pan, adjusting for the size and number of pancakes you’d like.
5. Check the underside of the pancake until it’s golden brown and has begun to puff up, then flip to the other side.
6. Transfer cooked pancakes to a plate and cut the figs into quarters. Serve each stack of pancakes with the figs and a drizzle of honey.

LUNCH — Honey Roasted Fig, Goats Cheese, and Walnut Salad

INGREDIENTS:

8 figs

1tbsp honey or maple syrup

100ml balsamic vinegar

60g (1 bag) rocket

80g goats cheese crumbled

10 walnut halves roughly chopped

Pinch of sea salt

METHOD:

1. Preheat the oven to 180℃ or 160℃ fan.
2. Begin preparing the figs by slicing off the hard stems and cutting a cross shape into the top of each one. The cross should be cut deep enough so that it goes about two-thirds of the way down each fig.
3. Put the figs on a baking tray and pour a bit of honey into the center. You can also add more honey by drizzling some on top of each one.
4. Sprinkle the figs with salt and put in the oven to roast until the honey caramelises and the figs are soft, about 25 to 30 minutes.
5. While the figs are roasting, use a small saucepan to bring the balsamic vinegar to a boil. Then, reduce the heat and simmer until it’s thickened, about 10 to 15 minutes. It should coat the back of a spoon.
6. Remove the balsamic reduction from the stove and transfer it to a small jug to cool.
7. Once the figs are out of the oven, prepare to serve. Lay the rocket out on your serving platter or directly on plates before adding the goats cheese and walnuts.
8. Put the roasted figs on top and drizzle the balsamic reduction over the salad.

DINNER — Tagliatelle with fig and chilli

INGREDIENTS:

8 black figs

2 dried chillies

2 lemons

50g parmesan

8 black figs

2 dried chillies

2 lemons

50g parmesan

METHOD:

1. Complete your mise en place by chopping the figs into quarters, crumbling the chillies, zesting both the lemons, and juice just one.
2. Fill a large pan with salted water and bring to boil on the stove. Add tagliatelle and cook until al dente, roughly 6 to 7 minutes.
3. While the pasta is cooking, heat a frying pan on the stove and add olive oil. When the pan is smoking, arrange the figs in a single layer and cook until they caramelise. Then, add the chillies and seasonings of your choice.
4. Once you’ve drained the cooked pasta, stir the lemon juice and zest into the cream and combine the mixture to the tagliatelle.
5. Add the caramelised figs and finish with the parmesan before serving.