24 Grilled Fig, Arugula and Prosciutto Salad Tom Woteki, June 2003 It all came together today: my garden, the market, the weather (most of the day), the wine.... well, almost all of it. Cathie was in Iowa today. But besides that.... A few years ago I planted some “rustic arugula” in my garden. I obtained the seeds from Shepherd’s Seeds. (Alas, alack, it appears they are now defunct.) Since then I have been getting faithful volunteers every year. This particular strain of arugula looks like a very skinny oak leaf with a few more fingers hanging off the stem and the flavor is very peppery. It makes a great salad fixin’. Then this morning there were fresh figs at the market. Of a moment I had the makings of a great salad! I’m sure Leslie must know this particular dish; it must course through her Italian alter ego. I believe I picked it up from a Mario Batali cookbook (of Babbo, NYC, fame) but once you make it you’ll internalize the recipe. Like all truly great cooking, but particularly Italian, it’s fresh, it’s direct, it’s simple and above all it’s delicious. To serve 1. Scale accordingly. Obtain: 2 fresh figs 1 or 2 slices finest quality prosciutto 1 portion fresh, pungent arugula EVOO finest balsamic vinegar fresh Parmegianno-Reggiano for shaving Proceed: 1. Wash the greens and reserve. 2. Trim the stem and butt ends of the figs, slice in half lengthwise. Brush generously with EVOO. 3. Grill the figs over high heat on both sides until the fruit is lightly caramelized. This will take jut a few minutes if the grill is hot. Remove immediately and reserve. 4. Arrange 1 or 2 prime slices of prosciutto on a serving plate. Arrange each slice into a rose like shape, or simply lay flat on the plate. 5. Toss the arugula lightly in a a vinaigrette of EVOO and balsamic. 6. Arrange the figs at 4 points of the compass. Mound the arugula in the center among the figs and over the prosciutto. 7. Shave the parmesan over the salad to taste. 8. Serve immediately with a crusty baguette or a crostini slice. You can easily get away with a single slice of prosciutto in this dish, particularly if it is a large slice from the delectable heart of the ham. The ham is rich and there is so much going on in this dish, with everything working so well together, that there is no need for “lots” of ham. I ate this wonderful salad with a great big, juicy 1995 California cabernet. (Actually, I had [have] 2 of them open, but that’s another story.) Huh? Yes. You may not be able to get a 1995 cab these days, but that doesn’t matter. The wine tasting lesson is this: the balsamic vinegar is sweet and mildly acidic. A big, rich lush wine with nice currant fruit and lively acidity will work just great with this dish. Moreover, the richness of the prosciutto and the parmesan add other elements of complexity and flavor that work very well with red wine. Other good choices would be Rhone or Rhone style wines and of course any lively (i.e. acidic) Italian red. I would try a Barbaresco or a Barbera d’Alba. There are also some white wines that would go great with this... but who would want to drink some insipid white (Rieslings excepted) when there is so much good red goin’ on? Cheers, T