Burnt Blackberry & Fig Jam
Inspired by the famous Australian chef Maggie Beer and her Burnt Fig Jam. You must be brave with this recipe and let the fruit burn just enough to get that perfect combination of bitter, sweet, smoky and completely moreish consistency. So versatile it can be served with cheese, duck, venison or the likes of scones, cake or just on toast.
Ingredients
400g ripe figs
250g blackberries
120g caster sugar
Juice of 1 lemon
500ml water (use only 250ml first)
1 large skillet pan
Method
1. Put washed and cut figs and blackberries into your skillet pan with the sugar, lemon juice and 250ml of the water and bring to the boil. Cook over a medium heat (180°C to 200°C) until it starts to thicken. I’ve cooked this on both charcoal, with a lump of cherry wood and also on gas using a smoking box. This time I used the Weber Q with smoking box.
2. Cook until the jam begins to caramelise at the edges.
3. Slowly, add a little of the next 250ml of water, 30ml at a time; you may not need it all. Continue to cook until it begins to get sticky and change to a darker colour, and you think the burning of the sugar has gone too far. Keep tasting as you go, when it gets that slight bitterness, remove from the heat.
4. If the jam seems like it will set too thickly as it cools, add a bit more water and stir again until smooth.
5. Let the jam cool before putting in a jar, and let cool completely before covering with a lid and refrigerating.
More Recipes Ideas from Kelly Bates
Method
1. Put washed and cut figs and blackberries into your skillet pan with the sugar, lemon juice and 250ml of the water and bring to the boil. Cook over a medium heat (180°C to 200°C) until it starts to thicken. I’ve cooked this on both charcoal, with a lump of cherry wood and also on gas using a smoking box. This time I used the Weber Q with smoking box.
2. Cook until the jam begins to caramelise at the edges.
3. Slowly, add a little of the next 250ml of water, 30ml at a time; you may not need it all. Continue to cook until it begins to get sticky and change to a darker colour, and you think the burning of the sugar has gone too far. Keep tasting as you go, when it gets that slight bitterness, remove from the heat.
4. If the jam seems like it will set too thickly as it cools, add a bit more water and stir again until smooth.
5. Let the jam cool before putting in a jar, and let cool completely before covering with a lid and refrigerating.
