Ingredient guide: Figs and grapes

Save Print E-mail

Grapes were enjoyed by the Greeks and Romans, who ate them fresh, pressed them for wine and cooked the juice to make a thick syrup (vincotto). The juice of unripe grapes, verjuice, was used before the advent of vinegar, as a souring agent.   Common figs are descendants of wild figs (caprifigs), which originated in Asia Minor. It is thought that cultivation started between 4,000-2,700 BC. By 800 BC they were grown throughout Greece, and 400 years later the Greek philosopher Plato extolled their nutritional qualities, promoting them as food for athletes.

Growing
Grapes are classified according to their use – table grapes, dried grapes or wine grapes. Table grapes, unlike wine grapes, are low in acid. Raisins, sultanas and currants are all different types of dried grapes. The Australian table grape season runs from November to May, with fruit grown in most states, though the bulk of the crop is from Victoria’s Sunraysia region. Figs are grown mainly in South Australia and the Northern Territory, with smaller quantities in New South Wales and Queensland.

Cooking
Grapes tend to be overlooked in Australian cooking, but not so in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern kitchens, where their moistness and ability to cut through rich flavours is celebrated in recipes for poultry, game, pork, veal and fish. In sweet recipes they are seen doused in alcohol, arranged jewel-like over tarts, or studded in bread dough with rosemary, as in the Italian flat bread schiacciata.

Buying and storing
The soft, luscious, juicy qualities that make figs desirable are the same ones that make them fragile and perishable. Eat figs at room temperature as soon as possible, or store in the fridge for 1-2 days. For grapes, look at the stems and stalks as well as the fruit: choose those with green, pliable stalks and plump, firm fruit. Store grapes, unwashed in an airtight container or in a sealed plastic bag, for up to 1 week and wash only when ready to use. For the best flavour, enjoy them slightly chilled.

Tips

• Many old recipes call for grapes to be peeled and pitted, but such bothersome preparation is usually ignored these days, though it is advisable to choose seedless varieties for cooking. 
• Verjuice, the unripe and unfermented juice of green grapes, is a delicious addition to sauces, or use for a salad dressing. Its taste is less sour than vinegar or lemon juice, and lighter than wine; it adds a fresh, fruity taste to cooking. One of the best brands to try is Maggie Beer’s, found in delicatessens. 
• Vincotto literally means ‘cooked wine’ in Italian. It is an ethereal substance with a wonderfully complex sweet and sour grapey flavour, made by cooking the juice of grapes until thick and syrupy. It is used as a condiment. Add a splash to meat pan-juices, toss with berries, or, for a delicious snack, layer bread with avocado slices and flaked parmesan then drizzle over. Look for it in delicatessens. 
• Unless figs are very thick-skinned (most aren’t), it’s not necessary to peel them.

Words, recipes & food preparation: Sophia Young. Photography: Andrew Lehmann.  Styling: Jane Hann.