Earl Grey winter sallad with figs

fig tea

In the winter time, I like to feast on dried fruits. The addition of strong and hearty Earl Grey tea balances perfectly with the sweetness of the fruit in this winter salad.

Ingredients (for six servings)

  • 600 grams of dried fruit and berries, such as figs, cranberries, apricots, prunes, blueberries, dates, apples and pears.
  • 7 dl of water
  • 1 vanilla pod, split length ways
  • 2 tablespoons of honey
  • 1 Earl Grey tea bag
  • 1 tablespoon of lemon juice

Optional: Serve the winter salad with a dollop of Greek yogurt.

Instructions

  1. Put the fruits and berries in a big saucepan and cover with the water.
  2. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla pod into the saucepan. Then put in the pod as well.
  3. Add the honey to the saucepan.
  4. Bring to a boil, stir well and lower the heat. Leave to simmer for 10 minutes without any lid. The liquid should thicken a bit.
  5. Remove the saucepan from the heat and put in the whole teabag. Leave to infuse for 15 minutes.
  6. Squeeze out the liquid from the teabag into the saucepan and discard the teabag.
  7. Find the vanilla pod and remove it.
  8. Transfer the dish to a non-metallic bowl. Stir in the lemon juice. Leave to cool.
  9. Cover and place in the fridge until it’s time to serve. This salad keeps quite well; I often make a big batch on Sundays and eat from it throughout the week.