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1
Caramelize fruit Stir together sugar and salt in a shallow bowl.
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2
Press cut side of each fig half into sugar mixture to coat.
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3
Heat a large skillet over high heat.
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4
Add figs, cut sides down, and cook until sugar and juices caramelize, 3 to 4 minutes, turning over fruit as it browns and shifting position of pan over burner, if necessary, to evenly cook fruit.
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5
Deglaze pan and make sauce Remove skillet from heat and add port.
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6
Return to heat and cook to reduce syrup, about 30 seconds, carefully scraping up caramelized bits on bottom of pan.
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7
Remove from heat and add butter.
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8
Add lemon juice; swirl to combine.
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9
Serve figs warm or at room temperature.
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10
Caramelizing fruit is as quick and as simple as can be.
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11
This technique is great for figs, but it works equally well with peaches, plums, pears, apples, and bananas.
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12
Cut the fruit (halve and pit stone fruits, slice apples and pears and other larger fruit), dip it in sugar, and place fruit sugar side down in a pan over medium-high heat.
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13
The caramelizing is complete in just a few minutes, in most cases.
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14
Then, after turning the fruit over, all you need do is deglaze the pan (using wine or liqueur or a flavorful vinegar) to produce a rich, glossy sauce.
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15
Port wine (or balsamic vinegar) is an ideal deglazing liquid for figs, rum for pineapple and banana, brandy for apricots and peaches, and poire William (a pear liqueur) for pears.
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16
If you like, swirl a tablespoon or two of butter into the pan to create a richer and more unctuous sauce.
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17
Serve the fruit over ice cream or yogurt or alongside slices of pound or sponge cake.
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18
Naturally, the fruit is also delicious on its own.
