Melek Erdal’s figs in pomegranate molasses and tahini nut crumble – recipe

Pomegranate molasses is a beautiful thing to watch being made. The process of turning those jewels into molasses is humbling, too; it’s one of devotion to preserve the goodness and magic of the pomegranate, to make it last and to help it travel. You can use the molasses in salad dressings, or in marinades for meats and seafood. Here, I’ve added some to roast figs to make a compote. The figs taste more beautiful the longer they have to rest, then, over the week, keep the compote in the fridge and use it to top granola or toast spread with curd cheese. The crumble also keeps well – the tahini and nigella seeds make it the best thing you’ll ever make.

Figs in pomegranate molasses and tahini nut crumble

Prep 20 min
Cook 1 hr 10 min
Serves 4-6

2 tbsp caster sugar
3 tbsp pomegranate molasses
½ tsp vanilla bean paste
Zest of 1 orange and the juice of ½ orange, plus a little extra zest to serve
Zest of ½ lemon, plus a little extra to serve
350g figs (ie, 6-7 fruit), halved
2 plums, halved, stoned and cut into thin wedges
1 apple, grated
3 tbsp honey

For the tahini nut crumble
100g wholemeal spelt flour
50g unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
30g almonds, roughly chopped
70g walnuts, roughly chopped
30g shelled pistachios, roughly ground
50g soft brown sugar
50g tahini, plus extra for drizzling
10g sesame seeds
5g nigella seeds
A pinch of salt

For the spiced cream
⅛ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp vanilla bean paste
1 tsp soft brown sugar
Zest of ½ orange
270ml double cream

In a bowl, mix the caster sugar, pomegranate molasses, vanilla, orange juice, and both citrus zests. Add the halved figs, plums and grated apple, and leave to marinate while you heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6.

Put the fig mix on a small oven tray that’s large enough to spread it out evenly, but still relatively compact. Make sure the figs are all sitting cut side up, then drizzle over the honey and roast for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, start on the crumble. Rub together the flour and butter to form a rough mix – don’t overwork it – then add the chopped nuts and sugar, and give everything a good stir. Drizzle in the tahini and rub together roughly with your fingertips. Sprinkle in the sesame and nigella seeds and a pinch of salt, and stir to combine.

Remove the figs from the oven and leave to cool, so the juices thicken a little.

Spread out the nut mix on a lined baking sheet so it’s about 1cm deep, then bake for 20 minutes, giving it a rough stir halfway. Once out of the oven, set aside to cool completely before mixing again – the crumble will crisp up as it cools, so you’ll will get nice chunks and clumps.

To make the spiced cream, put the cinnamon, vanilla, sugar and orange zest in a bowl, add the cream and whip to soft peaks.

To assemble, put two heaped spoons of crumble in the base of four to six dessert bowls, top each serving with two spoons of cream, then top with two fig halves and a couple of spoons of the fig sauce. Finish with a sprinkling of the remaining nut mix and citrus zest, and a drizzle of tahini.

• Melek Erdal is a Kurdish chef and food writer