There is no getting away from it, this is food heaven straight from the land. Sweet delicious grilled figs filled with spiced caramelised almonds which are served with a chilled creamy orange ricotta and dripping with molten dark chocolate. Oh yes! An aphrodisiac delight from the magical garden of Ibiza! Quite simply, they are the very best fruit of the late summer season and now they are at their very peak.

I am lucky enough to be able to pick juicy ripe figs straight from my tree in the garden and in the campo just outside our front gates that have enjoyed a long summer growing in the sun-drenched climes of Ibiza. They really are one of the most delightful natural food creations on earth and it is only fitting that they are paired with almonds that also grow wild on the island.

Figs and cheese (goats or ricotta) do go hand in hand as a perfect food pairing, recently I have spent a long time finding the very best ricotta to compliment this insanely decadent yet simple dessert. And trust me, fresh ricotta rather than the UHT stuff you find in supermarkets will make a world of difference to this recipe. I was delighted when I found an artisanal cheese marker, Can Caus in Santa Gertrudis very close to where I live. Their ricotta is renowned for being the best in the Balearics and I can quite agree with that statement. Tangy creamy delightfulness and coupled with a good quality melted dark chocolate for drizzling, this really is a pudding of pure wonder.

I like to add a little superfood here and there, in this case a sprinkling of bee pollen adds a fitting relevance to the dish with a nice added health benefit too. Oh yum oh yum oh yum…

Ingredients (serves 4)

12 fresh figs

25g toasted almonds, finely chopped

2 tablespoons coconut sugar (or honey)

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

200g fresh ricotta

zest of one organic orange

½ teaspoon vanilla essence

2oz/50g toasted sliced almonds

1 tablespoon honey

4oz/110g dark organic dark chocolate (70%)

1 tablespoon bee pollen (optional)

Method

1. Preheat grill on medium-high.
2. Cut a cross halfway into the top of each fig and gently ease them open. Place the figs into a shallow ovenproof dish. Combine the almonds, coconut sugar and cinnamon. Fill each fig cavity with the almond mixture, dividing ingredients evenly.
3. Meanwhile place the ricotta, orange zest, vanilla essence and honey in a medium bowl and beat with a wooden spoon until smooth and pop into the fridge.
4. Place figs under a preheated grill (about 8cm from the heat source) and grill for 4-5 minutes or until the sugar begins to bubble.
5. Melt the chocolate in a bowl over simmering water. Place the figs onto a serving platter, spoon over the orange ricotta then drizzle with the melted chocolate and a sprinkling of bee pollen – serve immediately.