Figs baked with cassis & honey cream

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4. Halve the figs.

2. Mix the 100ml cassis and the wine together. Heat in a small saucepan until just below boiling and pour two-thirds of it into a gratin dish in which the figs will fit snugly with the halves lying in a single layer (if there’s a lot of room around them, the cassis and wine will just evaporate, leaving you with no syrupy sauce). Add the lemon zest and 3 tbsp of the sugar.

3. Put the figs in, cut-side up, and pour the rest of the cassis and wine mixture over the top. Sprinkle the fruit with the remaining sugar. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, adding the extra 2 tbsp cassis if it looks dry, until the figs are soft but not collapsing. Leave to cool. If you have too much juice by the end of the cooking time you can drain it off and reduce it down by boiling it in a small saucepan.

4. Beat the cream until it’s holding its shape then stir in the honey and a squeeze of lemon. (If you add too much lemon it will thicken the cream, but you can let it down again by adding a little milk). Taste for sweetness. Serve the figs with their syrupy juices and the honey cream.