There are times when you are really trying to “impress” a good friend that you find two items that are absolutely perfectly paired.

Tonight, Don paired two items , the Seared Scallops (earlier blog) and the Roasted Figs. It is without a doubt the VERY BEST APPETIZERS we have put together in 23 years.

Do the scallops with the papaya salsa and set aside.

 

Now you need:

• 12 ripe figs
• 1 1/2 tbsp. olive oil (the best you can afford)
• 1/2 cup Gorgonzola (in my case, Laughing Cow, seriously)
• 1/3 cup honey

 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Using a paring knife, carefully trim any tough portion of the stems from each fig. Rub each fig all over with the olive oil, then slice down through the stem about 3/4 inch.  Make a second cut perpendicular to the first cut, so that you have an X-shaped cut in the tip of each fig.

Gently pry the edges apart and stuff each fig with 1 tsp. of the cheese. Place the figs upright on a baking sheet (use parchment paper) and bake until the figs are plump but not burst, about 10 minutes.

Drizzle equal amounts of honey on 4 serving plates and place the figs on top of the honey. Serve immediately, but add the seared scallops with the papaya salsa. You can also use mango as an alternative. We used 2 figs each plate and 3 scallops. YUMMY-YUMMY

Oh, my goodness! This combination rocks. Try it!