Goat’s Cheese, Fig and Honey Toasts

A successful goat’s cheese and honey toast needs well-toasted bread, fresh goat’s cheese warmed for a few minutes under the grill, fresh figs cut in half and a drizzle of thyme honey poured over at the last moment. A few walnut halves and some thyme leaves add crunch and fragrance. Allow 12 toasts for 4 people, as an appetiser or as a starter with a salad.

Method

1. Prepare the figs and walnuts Wash the figs, pat them dry and cut them in half lengthways, or into quarters if they are large. Roughly chop the walnut halves and toast them for 2 minutes in a small dry frying pan.
2. Roast any firm figs If the figs are still a little firm, at the start or end of the season, roast them: place them cut side up in a dish, drizzle with a spoonful of honey, add a sprig of thyme and roast for 8 to 10 minutes at 200 °C, until tender and lightly caramelised.
3. Prepare the bread slices Turn on the oven grill. Cut 12 slices of bread about 1 cm thick, on the diagonal for a baguette, and brush them lightly with olive oil.
4. Toast the bread Toast the slices for 1 to 2 minutes on each side under the grill, keeping an eye on them: they should be crisp on the surface and still soft in the middle.
5. Spread and grill the cheese Spread each toast with a generous layer of fresh goat’s cheese, then put them back under the grill for 2 to 3 minutes, just long enough for the cheese to warm through and turn lightly golden at the edges.
6. Top the toasts Place one or two fig halves on each toast, add the walnuts, strip over the thyme leaves and add a grind of black pepper.
7. Drizzle with honey and serve Drizzle with honey just before serving, or offer the honey in a small bowl with a honey dipper. Serve warm, on their own as an appetiser or with mixed leaves dressed with olive oil as a starter.

Which honey should you choose?

Thyme honey harvested in Provence is the most natural pairing: herbaceous and very aromatic, it echoes the sprigs of fresh thyme and the tang of the goat’s cheese. Garrigue honey, multifloral and marked by the plants of the hills, gives a rounder, slightly milder result. To compare these honeys over drinks, the lavender, thyme and garrigue discovery box lets you offer three pairings on the same board. If you are wondering what the name covers, our guide to rosemary and garrigue honey explains it.

Tips and variations

• For a meltier warm goat’s cheese with honey, replace the fresh goat’s cheese with 1 cm rounds of goat’s cheese log, and leave them under the grill for 2 minutes longer.
• When fresh figs are out of season, use soft dried figs, cut in half and roasted for 5 minutes with a little honey to soften them.
• Denser country bread holds a generous topping better; a baguette makes smaller toasts that are easy to serve as an appetiser.
• Replace the walnuts with flaked almonds or pine nuts, and the thyme with finely chopped rosemary.
• For a more substantial appetiser, add a thin slice of cured ham under the cheese.

Storage

The toasts are best made at the last minute: once topped, the bread quickly loses its crunch. You can, however, toast the bread a few hours ahead and leave it uncovered, then spread it and put it under the grill when it is time to serve. Fresh figs keep for 2 days in the fridge, and honey-roasted figs for 3 days in an airtight container. Find more sweet and savoury ideas among our honey recipes.

Frequently asked questions

Which goat’s cheese should you choose for honey toasts?

A fresh, very creamy goat’s cheese spreads easily and warms through in a few minutes under the grill. For a bolder warm goat’s cheese, choose a goat’s cheese log cut into rounds, which melts and browns more.

How do you make honey-roasted figs?

Cut the figs in half, place them cut side up in a dish, drizzle them with honey, add a sprig of thyme and roast for 8 to 10 minutes at 200 °C. They become tender and lightly caramelised.

When are fresh figs in season?

Fresh figs are mainly available from late summer to early autumn. Outside that period, soft dried figs, briefly roasted with honey, are a good substitute on the toasts.

Can you make goat’s cheese and fig toasts in advance?

It is best to top them at the last minute to keep the bread crisp. Prepare the figs, toasted walnuts and toasted bread ahead of time, then assemble and put them under the grill just before serving.