Figs & Prosciutto

This recipe is so simple it’s hardly a recipe at all. But I know that’s what you like, especially when friends drop by for a drink and you’re busy but still want to put something delicious and impressive on the table. Serve these figs as a starter (as I’ve done here), or wrap each quarter in half a slice of prosciutto, skewer with a toothpick and arrange on a platter to serve as finger food. The simpler the dish, the more important the quality, as there’s nowhere for second-rate ingredients to hide. Buy prosciutto freshly sliced from a good deli which lays it out properly so the slices stay intact – I prefer the sweetness of Prosciutto di San Daniele over the slightly saltier Prosciutto di Parma, but that’s down to personal taste. And use the best traditional balsamic vinegar from Modena that you can afford, I like Acetaia di Giorgio. Figs are one of the great treats of summer, but for the rest of the year do the same thing with thin slices of ripe rockmelon (see video below for another easy northern Italian recipe with fruit). I love La Prova’s Aglianico Rosato with figs and prosciutto, as much for its wonderful pale pink blush as its dry, textured palate.

Serves 6 as a starter