Anyone who loves cookware will probably already be aware of Netherton Foundry. Even if the name isn’t familiar, UK readers will almost certainly have seen their pans featured in food shoots, most recently Nigel Slater’s devilled crab recipe in The Observer Magazine.
Since Sue and Neil Currie set up their business in 2011 they’ve amassed a dedicated fan base for their simple but elegant cast and spun iron cookware. In the interests of full disclosure, while this is not a sponsored post, Sue did once give me a discount on a frying pan. Periodically I linger over her website, lusting after more of the range.
I’ve been following her on Instagram for some time, because in addition to posting pics of pan porn, she also comes up with some cracking recipes.
A recent trip to Riga netted her a jar of intensely flavoured buckwheat honey and Sue says: “Dark brown and heady, it was never destined for toast, but cried out for a creamy counterbalance. Plump and purple figs at 30p each were too good to ignore and who can resist honeyed figs?” Thus was born her honey, walnut and fig cheesecake.
As I said to her when I first saw it, if I’d come up with this I’d be doing victory laps of the kitchen. She has generously allowed me to share the recipe here. So without further ado and in Sue’s own words, here it is …
Sue's Honey and Fig Cheesecake
Ingredients:
6 figs
2 tbs orange juice
2 tsp honey
For the base:
170g plain biscuits, such as Digestives
80g walnuts
125g butter
For the cheesecake:
300g cream cheese
100g sour cream
80g runny honey
3 eggs
30g ground almonds
Method:
Snip any stalks from the figs and carefully make six even incisions in each fig, slicing down from top to bottom without cutting through the base. Place the figs into a shallow pan with a lid and add the orange juice and honey. (Sue used her prospector pan, it’s going on my Christmas list.)
Cover and cook gently for around 20 minutes until the figs have gracefully unfurled and there is a sweet and sticky syrup in the bottom of the pan. Set aside to cool.
Pre-heat the oven to 180ºC
Crush the biscuits, chop the walnuts (not too finely) and melt the butter. Mix all three ingredients together and press into a 10” pie or flan dish. Place in the fridge while you make the filling.
Beat the cream cheese and sour cream until smooth. Then add the honey and eggs and mix thoroughly. Stir in the ground almonds. Pour the mixture over the chilled biscuit base and place in the oven.
Bake for around 30 minutes, until the edges are just taking on a little colour and the centre is firm to the touch. Allow to cool and then drape the figs languidly on to the cheesecake and spoon over the syrup.
I love the descriptor “gracefully unfurled”. I try to do that when I wake each morning.
And I’m sure with those cyclist’s muscles you do it beautifully, Conor. 😉 🙂
🤣😂🤣
Geesh! I’m fat enough thank you. I sat down to my computer to kill time while the crust for the Raspberry Crumble bars is in the oven for it’s first ten minutes! That is not to say this Cheesecake recipe will not be saved.
Haha, one thing at a time, Chip, unless you’re better at multi-tasking than I am. You know what they say, everything in moderation. 🙂 Hope you enjoy the raspberry crumble bars – and that you bookmark Sue’s gorgeous recipe. Have a great weekend. Lx
This should be eaten as the stars come out over the Mediterranean, after a perfect day of sunshine and picking those figs. Misty English September? Well,it looks as though it tastes fabulous anyway!
The Med sounds wonderful but it’s sunny in Suffolk today and next year we’ll have our own figs … time for a staycation, Margaret? 🙂 😉
Certainly. Suffolk IS on the list fo next year. We have figs here too in North Yorkshire …. but they never ripen….
Boo, too cold in Yorkshire? Great that you’re coming to Suffolk though, keep in touch on that. xx
ooo languid, unfurled… Is this the sexiest cheesecake ever? Anyway, you had me at figs….!
I think it probably is. Should be consumed wearing a satin wrap a la Nigella. 😀
I’m something of a cookware addict, but I have to admit I hadn’t heard of Netherton Foundery before reading this post. I’ve never seen their products sold here in the US. Although cast iron cookware is *very* popular here in the US, one of our homegrown manufacturers, Lodge, dominates the market for bare cast iron, with some smaller outfits like Smithey starting to challenge them. Le Creuset and Staub dominate for enamelled cast iron. but I’d love to see more competition and variety. Judging from the website, Netherton makes some fine cookware.
PS: I’m so happy figs are back in season. I love them!
They’re a small family company, Frank, and I don’t think have penetrated the US market. I really like their pans etc, they’re exceptionally well made. If there’s ever anything from their range you’d like, though, let me know and I’ll try to sort something out. Cheers, Linda.
😍