Name: Bruschetta with Goat Cheese, Fig, and Prosciutto
Total time: 1 h
Cuisine: ItalianEurope
Ingredients: 1 loaf country bread with thick crust (about 10 by 5 inches, ends discarded), sliced crosswise into into ¾-inch-thick pieces; ½ garlic clove , peeled; ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil; 5 ounces (about 1 cup) dried Calimyrna or Turkish figs , roughly chopped; ¾ cup water; ¼ cup balsamic vinegar; 8 ounces goat cheese , at room temperature; 4 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto , torn into bite-sized pieces; Extra-virgin olive oil

Why This Recipe Works

Pairing year-round, pantry-ready ingredients like dried figs with a tangy cheese like goat cheese fit the bill for the punchy, concentrated flavors we wanted for our bruschetta recipe. We pulsed some of the bruschetta topping ingredients in the food processor until they formed a rough paste, which provided a stable base for the other toppings and allowed us to easily pick up our bruschetta and eat it neatly.

Instructions

for the toasted bread

Adjust oven rack so it is about 4 inches from heating element and heat broiler. Place bread on foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Broil until bread is deep golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip and repeat on second side. Lightly rub 1 side of slices with garlic and brush with olive oil. Season with salt to taste.

for the topping

Bring figs, water, and vinegar to boil in small saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until mixture is almost dry and figs have softened, about 20 minutes (if after 20 minutes mixture is still moist, remove lid and continue to cook until almost dry). Process fig mixture in food processor until uniform paste forms, about 10 seconds, scraping down bowl with rubber spatula once during processing.

Divide goat cheese evenly among slices of toast and spread to edges. Top with fig mixture and carefully spread over cheese. Top each slice with pieces of prosciutto; drizzle with olive oil and serve.