Fig & Brie Sandwich

Total time: 5 minutes

How did this even come together? I can tell you it wasn’t intentional.

On Friday I bought some brie. On Sunday, someone close to me purchased some super ripe figs and a loaf of raisin walnut bread from the farmers market.

Sunday night we had tickets to a show at the Hollywood Bowl. It was New Orleans night – Bonerama, Harry Connick Jr & Fireworks. You can bring food to any show at the Bowl. You can often bring beer and wine as well. I decided to make some sandwiches and figs + brie + raisin walnut bread sounded like a winner. It was.

Ingredients

1/4” to 1/2” slices of brie, room temperature
2 ripe figs, rinsed
2 slices of bread (walnut & raisin is what I would recommend)
balsamic vinegar
extra virgin olive oil
black pepper
kosher salt

Optional (choose one)

2 slices of black forest bacon, cooked
1 slice of prosciutto
arugula

Mise en place

(Set yourself up for success before you start cooking)

If you choose to add the black forest bacon, make sure it is cooked ahead of time and cooled.
Take the brie out of the fridge. You want it to be room temperature.
Rinse the figs

Directions

Step 1

Toast the bread. You just want it toasted enough so that when you smash the brie and fig the bread doesn’t also get smashed. If you are making these to eat for later, as I did, toast the bread a bit more to decrease the possibility of of a soggy sandwich.

Step 2

Slice the brie and lay on one piece of bread. Use a spatula or a fork to press the brie on the bread. Cut off the tip of the figs, then slice each in half. Lay one fig half cut side on the second slice of bread and press into the bread. Repeat until you have covered that slice with ripe fig. Two figs should be the right amount.

Step 3

Now, we basically have a slice of brie toast and a slice of fig toast. Let’s dress it up. In a tiny, tiny bowl, add a splash of balsamic. Brush a layer of vinegar over the figs. In the same bowl, add a splash of extra virgin olive oil – the good stuff. Brush a layer of that over the figs. Then crack some black pepper and add a sprinkle of salt.

Step 4

Optional: Add bacon, a slice of prosciutto, or a small handful of arugula.

Step 5

Let’s make it a sandwich. Put the slices together. Press down gently on the top of the sandwich, then slice diagonally. Enjoy now, or wrap tightly in aluminum foil to enjoy later – at lunch, for a picnic, or the next time you are at the Hollywood Bowl!