Endive Spears with Fig-Onion Jam

• Serves 8 to 10

• 20 minutes prep time; 15 minutes stove time

• The jam is best when given several days to mellow in the refrigerator; it keeps two weeks chilled, six months frozen

• Assemble the spears up to 2 hours before serving and chill

Spoon this jam onto Belgian endive leaves for near-instant antipasto. If we were in India, this jam would be called a chutney. It's done with an old formula that never lets you down. Brown onion; add vinegar, sugar and wine. Boil them down to a sweet-sour caramel, and blend in fruit.

Spoon it on crisp greens. Let it take down the rich fattiness and salt of cured meats, and let it give a lush hedge to powerhouse cheeses like Gorgonzola and Taleggio.

Ingredients

• 6 to 7 large dried figs

• 1/2 cup red wine, plus additional as needed

• Good-tasting extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 medium to large red onion cut into 1/4-inch dice

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 1/8 teaspoon each hot red pepper flakes and ground cloves

• 1/2 cup red wine or cider vinegar

• 2 to 3 packed tablespoons brown sugar

• 3 to 4 heads Belgian endive, separated into leaves

Garnish

• 1/2 to 3/4 cups shelled and salted pistachios, lightly crushed

1. Chop the figs into 1/4-inch dice, and place in a medium size bowl. Pour the red wine over them, and allow them to marinate at least 30 minutes. Drain and set aside. Reserve the wine, and add additional wine to make 1/2 cup. Set aside.

2. Lightly film the bottom of a 12-inch sauté pan with oil, and heat over high heat. When the oil is hot and shimmers slightly, add onion, a little salt, and a generous amount of pepper. Toss over high heat 2 minutes. You want the onion to begin to brown but still be somewhat crisp.

3. Stir in the red pepper flakes and cloves. Reduce the heat to medium and continue to stir for 1 or 2 minutes. Pour in the vinegar, scraping up any brown glaze on the bottom of the pan, and boil down to almost nothing, stirring occasionally with a wide wooden spatula to avoid scorching. Add the wine and the sugar and continue to boil over medium heat until thick and syrupy. You want the syrup to cling to the onions and not be soupy.

4. Stir in the drained figs. Taste the jam for seasoning, and simmer for a minute or two. Mellow the jam for a few days in the refrigerator.

5. Assemble the spears by making sure each leaf is dry, and then heap a teaspoon or less of the jam in the center of each leaf. When you want to set out the antipasto, top each mound of jam with chopped pistachios.