Dried figs
Dried figs bring chewy pieces and fine seeds to bostrengo. Buy plain dried fruit, remove any hard stalks and chop it before mixing with the rice, bread, nuts and raisins.
- Form
- Whole dried figs, chopped for the recipe.
- Choice
- No particular cultivar or protected designation is required.
Trim and chop before mixing
Check the figs individually and remove any hard stalk ends. Chop the fruit into small pieces before adding it to the other ingredients, using a stable board and a sharp knife. Separate pieces that cling together so they distribute through the batter.
The bostrengo preparation soaks the raisins separately. Do not assume that this also calls for soaking the figs: prepare each dried fruit as directed, then mix the chopped figs with the nuts and the rest of the batter.
Dried fruit in a Marche cake
Drying changes figs from soft fresh fruit into a concentrated, chewy ingredient that can be cut into pieces for baking. Italian dried-fig traditions include those of Cosenza, where ripening, drying and packing are distinct stages. Those particular production rules belong to that product. Bostrengo uses dried figs with raisins, walnuts and hazelnuts in a mixture of rice and bread. It does not require Cosenza DOP figs or any single cultivar. Choose the dried form for the recipe rather than fresh figs, whose texture and moisture are different.
Distribute the fruit through each square
Mix thoroughly before filling the baking tin so each piece of bostrengo contains some fig, nuts and raisins. Serve the cake in small squares, with an optional light garnish of chopped nuts if desired. The figs belong inside the cake rather than as whole fruit hidden in a few portions.
Choose plain dried figs
Choose plain dried figs rather than figs stuffed with nuts, coated in chocolate or preserved in liqueur. Check the ingredient list and the package condition. Whole fruit lets you inspect and trim each fig before chopping; a protected designation is a separate product choice, not a condition of this recipe.
Close the pack after portioning
Follow the package’s storage instructions and date, including any directions after opening. Keep the remaining figs in a clean, closed container or resealed pack. Chop the amount needed for baking and keep it covered until it goes into the bowl.
