I am not fond of ‘wrapped’ fruit or vegetables but, as this recipe leaves the Parma ham loose and crisp, it suits me well.

An alternative is to omit the gorgonzola and instead serve the dish with shaved slices of Parmesan cheese scattered on top. Either make a brilliant starter or lunch meal for late summer.

Oven at 190°C

8 ripe figs
1 tsp honey
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp olive oil
4-6 slices Parma ham, cut in half
150g rocket
100g blue cheese, such as gorgonzola
Extra virgin olive oil

Cut the figs in half and place them on a large baking tray lined with foil. Whisk the olive oil, honey and balsamic vinegar together and spoon it over the figs.

Bake for five minutes. Add broken pieces of gorgonzola on top of the figs and lay the Parma ham around the baking tray. Bake for about five minutes until the ham is crisp and the cheese melted. Leave to cool.

Put the rocket in a serving dish and place the ham and figs on top. Pour over any juices remaining in the roasting pan.

Drizzle over a little extra virgin olive before serving. As the cheese is salty and the rocket peppery, it might not be necessary to season this salad in the usual way.