Crostini with Prosciutto, Goat Cheese and Fig Jam
April 20, 2010
This may well be our favorite appetizer. I think a close second are these parmesan crisps, but these crostini are just amazing. The combination of the prosciutto with the luscious fig jam is so good and then the creamy goat cheese - well, you just have to make these. And (shhhh...) they are so easy!
All you need for these little wonders are a good fresh baguette, a jar of fig jam, some salty prosciutto, plain goat cheese and some fresh basil. The fig jam is an item which is now found in any grocery store. You just have to know where to look for it. Some stores carry it with the jams and some carry it with the international foods. I know Whole Foods has this brand of jam and they always have some tucked in with all the cheeses. This stuff is incredible - if you've never had it, you'll want to eat it with a spoon. Or put it on toast. Or make a sandwich with it. Or put it on scrambled eggs. Okay, you get it. For the prosciutto, make sure you buy a good quality prosciutto - because there are so few ingredients, this appetizer is only good as the quality of your ingredients.
For my baguette, I actually made my own using this method. I'm so lucky. It's a snap to bake up your own in under an hour and I didn't have to run to the bakery to get a fresh one. I used a baguette mold, which helps the bread retain its shape and not spread out too much. If you try this, just line it with a folded over clean towel and flour it generously. When the bread is done resting for about 30 minutes, just roll it off the towel and back onto the baguette mold and bake.
Crostini with Prosciutto, Goat Cheese and Fig Jam
for a printable recipe, click here
makes six crostini
Ingredients:
- 1 fresh baguette
- 1/8 cup olive oil
- sea salt or kosher salt
- 4 ounces goat cheese, plain, at room temperature
- 6 tablespoons fig jam
- 3 slices prosciutto, each cut in half
- 6 fresh basil leaves
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375 F degrees.
Slice six 1/2-inch slices of bread from the baguette. I slice mine slightly on the diagonal. Place on a baking sheet and brush generously with the olive oil. Sprinkle a little salt on each slice. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until crisp and slightly golden. Watch that they do not burn. Remove from oven and cool slightly.
Spread some goat cheese on each crostini. Spread about a tablespoon of fig jam on top of the goat cheese. Fold the half slices of prosciutto and place on top of each crostini. Lay a fresh basil leaf on each and serve.
This recipe also would be great with fresh figs, but we can't get decent fresh figs where we live. It's always a disappointment. So this year, I'm actually going to try to grown my own (yes, in Michigan!) figs. I was inspired by this article by William Grimes. If he could grow such a productive fig tree in New York, maybe I could eek out a few figs here. Who knows? I've got three Chicago Hardy figs which I will plant soon. I'll keep you posted!
Reader Comments (25)
Those crostinis look fantastic. Love the combination of flavors. I'm bookmarking this. :)
recipe sounds fantastic! however, in general, i'm not a goat cheese fan. is there another type of cheese i could substitute that would be equally delicious???
That looks positively delicioso!
Ask Garcia
Fantastic Elaine! I have posted this to my FaceBook,. You will likely have more followers like me! :)
Thank you for this. I'm looking for little easy passed appetizers for my husband's grand opening. He sells Macs (apple dealer) and all things related to music professionals and computers. He opened yesterday, but soon we'll do a grand opening. I can start getting ingredients (like the jam) right now.
We usually get the prosciutto at Whole Foods and believe it or not we have a local farmer who makes it.
My family used to have fig trees in Kenosha Wis. You can do it! There are varieties that will take more cold than others. I used to have my fig trees in pots (there are varieties that are great for this) so you could move them indoors (if you have space or a garage) in the winter time when they are dormant. I would love to know how your trees are doing. Best of luck.
Your crostini looks so flavorful-not to mention beautiful!!!!
I bet the fig jam is fantastic-great appetizer or snack!
From The Italian Dish:
Jackie: I don't know of a substitute for goat cheese that would give you that creamy, tangy taste. But if you like ricotta cheese or mascarpone, maybe you could try one of those. There are a lot of spreadable cheeses in the grocery store - maybe you could find one you like and try that.
Angela: I love that your going to serve this at a Mac event!
Debbie: I have three little fig trees. I do plan to plant a couple in pots, where I can move them inside during the winter. One I am going to try to plant outside. I will post their progress!
These look wonderful! Your pictures are lovely. Fig jam is one of my favorite things and it does pair beautifully with salty-sweet prosciutto. Buonissimo!
I make my own fig jam so these crostini are just perfect! I definitely will be making these. Your photos are beautiful.
This summer i'm going to make fig jam just so that I can make these. Might need a goat too :)
I love that jam from Whole Foods, and yes I could eat it with a spoon! A platter of these would make me very happy. Your photo's are exquisite!
Gosh that looks good!
Definitely think the combination of simple flavors here is to die for!
Tried this...it was great. Made the Artisan Bread again and assembled the crostini, the flavors and we savored the mix of ingredients. The basil was a great addition to this.
Thanks for this recipe! I made it last Saturday for a dinner party and we all loved it!
Wow! This looks so great! A must try! xxMK
I have prepared these crostinis today and were delicious. Thanks for the recipe!
nl-bcn.blogspot.com
I can't wait to try them, could you have anything on stuffed squash flowers? I am going to visit my daughter in August and want to make them and try them at home first.
I would really appreciate it. This cooking infor you have on the internet is the best I don't think anyone could pass you you are wonderful I pull you up everyday
Carmella
my father in law grew fig trees in western ny (buffalo) for many years. the height of the trees reached no more than three feet from the ground and were allowed to grow almost horizontally so that he could literally and easily bury them during the winter months with burlap/ leaves and compost. he had great success with this method and the figs picked right off the tree were amazingly good.
good luck on your fig trees and happy harvest
Giacomo
I just adored this post of yours. On my video log - MARC'S CULINARY COMPASS, I just posted and episode that focuses on sumptuous, sexy FIGS. You all might enjoy it and thanks for your post.
Here is the link - http://sc.blogs.com/marcs_culinary_compass/2010/09/episode-42.html
I made these for a recent girls night, and they were delicious. We are fortunate to have not just one, but three Wegman's around us, and they have a delicious Fig & Balsamic compote that I used. Delicious!!
This appetizer was delicious! A perfect balance of sweet, tangy, and salty flavors!
These sound fantastic! I will definitely be making these! I am a new follower!