Pancetta-Wrapped Figs with Aged Balsamico Condimento

Name: Pancetta-Wrapped Figs with Aged Balsamico Condimento
Yield: makes 12 fig halves
Ingredients: Wedge of Parmigiano-Reggiano, for slicing; 12 thin slices pancetta (6 to 8 ounces); 6 ripe figs, halved lengthwise; Aged balsamico condimento, for drizzling; Freshly ground black pepper

January 26, 2012

Bacon-wrapped dates—a more elegant version of rumaki, the 1950s appetizer of chicken liver wrapped in bacon with a water chestnut in the middle—have taken Los Angeles by storm ever since Suzanne Goin started serving them at her restaurant, AOC. I didn’t want to copy hers, but I like them so much that I wanted to make a version for Mozza using figs, which are so abundant in my town in Italy that you almost forget they are a delicacy. Although I’ve never been served anything like these in Italy, I certainly didn’t invent the idea of contrasting the sweetness of figs with something piggy and salty: figs and prosciutto is a classic. At the Osteria, we serve these as an antipasto on a tangle of wilted dandelion greens, but they also make a great bite-size snack for cocktail hour, which is how we have presented them here.

Recipe notes

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