Fig bread: recipe to do it at home
The figs They stand out for being one of the most characteristic fruits of autumn. We can consume them from the end of September and the beginning of autumn, and they provide us with the essential nutrients that our body needs both for the change of season and for the arrival of a much colder time in which our defenses begin to suffer and weaken. We find them in the fig trees, and we know when is the best moment for their consumption when they present a purple or violet flavor.
On your nutritional contribution, figs provide a good amount of vitamins and minerals, among which we can mention B vitamins very beneficial for the health of our nervous system. It is also a fruit very rich in sugars, hence it is an ideal food for this time of year because It gives us the energy we need when we tend to feel very weak or without strength. In fact, it is common that in autumn, as in spring, the so-called asthenia or autumnal depression arises, which appears with symptoms such as low vitality, fatigue and weakness.
They can be consumed alone or accompanied with other foods, either as a dessert or as a recipe to eat at lunch. An example is the delicious yogurt with figs and honey, ideal to improve intestinal transit and as prevention of constipation. Although in this sense we can also elaborate a popular recipe based on figs with milk.
But if there is a traditional recipe that is made with figs for many years that is the fig bread. It consists of a typical Malaga dish, which is traditionally made with dried figs, some nuts and spices. As you see, although it is popularly known as "bread" it is not actually made with flour or wheat, consisting of a base of dried figs with which a dense and compact paste is formed.
Although it is a traditional Christmas recipe, the truth is that it can be made all year round. In fact, both in Malaga and elsewhere in Spain (as is the case of the Canary Islands) it is possible to find it in many shops without being Christmas.
Traditional fig bread recipe
Ingredients you need:
- 1 kg. of dried figs
- 250 gr. of toasted almonds
- 1 handful of nuts
- 1 bunch of fennel
- 2 tablespoons of toasted sesame seeds
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch of the teaspoon of ground clove
- 1 liter of water
Preparation of fig bread:
First remove the rabito from the dried figs. Chop them well. Put 1 liter of water in a saucepan. Chop the fennel and bring it to boil along with the water. When the water boils for 10 minutes strain the fennel with care not to burn.
Now pour the boiled water into a somewhat larger saucepan and add enough and necessary to scald the figs. We must boil the water again. When you reach this state again, add the figs, chopped and let boil for 4 minutes. Then remove the figs with the help of a colander or a colander.
Meanwhile, split the almonds and walnuts, skim a little in water, peel the almonds and put them on the baking tray for 3 or 4 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon to avoid burning. Remove the roasted nuts and toast a little sesame in a pan. Now grind the almonds and toasted nuts.
Put the drained figs in the saucepan, without fire, and add the toasted nuts, the toasted sesame seeds, the cloves and the cinnamon in the indicated quantities. Remove everything very well.
Now prepare a mold or ring with a round shape, if you wish you can use a round mold of small removable size. Use kitchen film to prevent sticking, and add the fig paste slowly by squeezing with a spoon to make it compact. When it reaches 3 or 4 centimeters in thickness, close the film and tighten it with the base of the mold so that it is flat. You can prepare several molds in this way.
Then remove the film, put them on a tray lined with aluminum foil, cover them with gauze and put some weight on top. Leave them for 1 day in a place to air them.
The next day carefully remove the weight and leave the paste covered with gauze for 2 more days to continue drying. After 2 days the pasta will be ready to eat.
Image | Dominik (Flickr) TopicsBread recipes
