A fig nut roll is a terrific addition to a cheese plate or charcuterie board. A fig almond roll makes a pretty appetizer on its own to eat alongside glasses of wine.
Fig Salami
In Italian cuisine, it’s also called “salami di fichi” or fig salami, which makes sense given the shape of the fig nut roll. Sometimes, you’ll even find that they include cocoa powder for a chocolatey, fig, and nut roll that doubles as dessert.
Types of Figs
Sun-Maid and Orchard Choice Mission Figs are what you’ll see featured in the video below. They’re jammy and deeply fruity—this would be the type of fig we would suggest using to pair with red wine or rose. If you’re planning a nosh for bubbles and white wine, go with Sun-Maid and Orchard Choice Golden Figs. Their sweetness and fig flavor is more delicate with a tangy and slightly nutty taste.
About Nuts for the Fig Nut Roll
You’ll see that blanched almonds are called for in the fig almond roll recipe below. You could also use roasted nuts, pulling out all of the peanuts in advance, for a completely different flavor. Roasted nuts deepen the nutty flavor whereas raw nuts have a cleaner milder taste. Your pick!
Tips for Being Ready to Roll
A food processor will be your friend for making the recipe. You’ll process the nuts and figs until jammy and paste-like. Then, you’ll gather the paste into a sheet of parchment and roll it up into a log, sealing the ends. The roll goes into the refrigerator to chill and set the shape.
California Fig & Toasted Nut Roll
Ingredients
- 14 ounces Orchard Choice or Sun-Maid Mission California Figs
- 2 tsp lemon zest finely grated, can substitute with orange zest
- 2/3 cup whole almonds blanched – can also substiture with roasted mixed nuts without peanuts
Instructions
- Remove and discard fig stems. Cut figs into quarters. Place in bowl of food processor with lemon or orange zest and process until figs are finely chopped and form a paste, stopping to scrape bowl once or twice as needed.
- Turn fig mixture out of bowl onto a piece of parchment paper. If nuts are large, cut into halves or quarters. Knead nuts into fig mixture, distributing evenly and covering nuts completely with fig mixture. Form mixture into a compact 8-inch long log. Wrap parchment paper around log, folding in ends to seal. Place in a plastic bag and seal bag. Chill for 12 to 24 hours.
- To serve, unwrap and cut with sharp knife into thin (about ¼-inch) slices. Serve with cheese. Makes 28 to 30 servings.