A friend brought over fresh figs, just as if she had picked it from a tree on the mountainside facing the Mediterranean sea in Greece. I didn’t have to think long about what to do with them, because this recipe had been sitting in the back of my mind for a while. The crispy salty bacon and the texture of the figs form the perfect harmony. One can only imagine how this treat was enjoyed by the philosophers of old. Add a spoonful of greek yoghurt to serve and enjoy!
Figs are commonly known to be of greek origin, however, figs first originated in Asia and only spread through Europe with the Greeks and Romans. Fig trees can live up to 100 years and grow up to fifty feet, although most only grow 10 to 30 feet. Bacon, on the other hand, was used during the 16th century by the English to refer to all pork. The salted pork however, appeared much earlier in China. Both these star ingredients in the following recipe have an old and elaborate history. This recipe is called a cake, not because it is sweet, but because the texture and the batter are that of a cake. It results in an extremely delicious creation. But, don’t take my word for it, try it yourself!
Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 Eggs
- 100ml Sunflower Oil
- 180g Flour
- 1 package Baking Powder
- 20ml Milk
- 100g Greek Yogurt
- 200g fresh Figs
- 100g Bacon
- 100g Emmentaler, grated
- Salt | Pepper | Sugar
Instructions
- Put baking paper in a long cake tin and preheat the oven to 180ºC.
- Mix the eggs and oil together with an electric mixer until they are fluffy.
- Slowly sift in the flour, baking powder and sugar.
- Pour in the milk and mix well with an electric mixer to make sure no clumps are left.
- Wash the figs and cut them into thin slices.
- Cut the bacon into thin strips.
- Mix the bacon, figs and cheese into the batter. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Pour the batter into the cake tin and spread it well.
- Bake the cake at 160ºC fan for about 45 minutes or until golden-yellow.
- Cut into slices and enjoy!
