Ingredients

• 8 medium to large figs
• 40-50g/1½-1¾oz Stilton cheese
• 8 slices Parma ham
• 2 tsp honey
• few thyme leaves
• 1 tsp olive oil
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 200g/7oz cooked beetroot
• finely diced
• 1 eating apple
• peeled and grated
• ½ small red onion
• very finely chopped
• few thyme leaves
• few tarragon leaves
• very finely chopped
• 2 tbsp walnut oil
• 1 tbsp cider vinegar
• 25g/1oz walnuts
• chopped

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Trim the top stem of each fig if necessary
• then cut a cross almost to the base. Squeeze the figs from the base so the four tips splay outwards.
• Mash up the stilton
• then divide it between the figs – approximately a teaspoon in each
• pushing it down into the centre of each fig. Wrap the figs in the Parma ham – the ham should come around two thirds up the fig
• leaving the tips and the cheese exposed.
• Place in a small baking dish
• then drizzle with the honey
• thyme leaves and olive oil
• then season with salt and pepper.
• Bake in the oven for around 10-15 minutes
• or until the cheese has melted and the ham has browned.
• To make the salsa
• put the beetroot
• apple
• onion and herbs in a bowl. Season well with salt and pepper. Whisk together the oil and vinegar and season with salt. Pour this over the beetroot mixture and stir to combine. Sprinkle over the walnuts.
• Serve the salsa with the stuffed figs.