Figs and buckwheat

A fresh dessert, with raw, vegan and gluten free ingredients. It encloses a great potential of vitality and energy given by the buckwheat sprouts (the content of enzymes and vitamins is hundreds of times larger when compared to the initial seed). The fresh fruit keeps all its aromas and proprieties intact (including the fact that it is easier to digest than cooked fruit). The fact that the seeds are kept soaking in water makes them easier to digest and highlights their flavour. On the palate, this semifreddo is fresh and melts in your mouth but it is also sharp thanks to the lemon, while the cone gives a crispy note and the sauce adds a creamy texture. The balsamic and pitchy aroma of the rosemary opens your nose and warms the palate.

Fig semifreddo with a cone of walnuts, buckwheat sprouts and rosemary

Recipe for 4 people

INGREDIENTS
for the cashew nut and fig semifreddo
200 g cashew nuts soaked in water for 8 hours and then rinsed
80 ml lemon juices and the zest of 1 lemon
90 ml raw agave nectar
90 ml coconut oil at room temperature
60 ml water
¼ teaspoon of unrefined sea salt
8 black cleaned and blended figs

for the cone of walnuts, figs and dried buckwheat sprouts
45 g walnuts
75 g dried figs chopped with a knife
30 g buckwheat sprouts dried at 42°C
½ teaspoon of chopped rosemary
¼ teaspoon of unrefined sea salt

for the fig and raspberry sauce
300 g black figs
50 g raspberries
20 ml agave nectar
5 ml lemon juice
½ teaspoon of chopped rosemary

METHOD
for the cashew nuts and fig semifreddo
Blend the cashew nuts with the lemon, the agave nectar, the coconut oil, the salt and the water so as to obtain a velvety cream. Pour the latter in a sac-a-poche and fill 4 semi-spherical silicone moulds alternating the cream with the fig purée. Keep them in the freezer overnight.

for the walnut, fig, buckwheat dried sprouts cone
Chop the walnuts, dried figs, rosemary and salt so as to obtain 3mm wide pieces. Add the buckwheat and mix. Create four cones using acetate sheets, pour the mixture pressing it so as to make it compact and leave it in the freezer for at least half an hour.

The buckwheat is prepared by rinsing and soaking the seeds in a glass or ceramic bowl with water at room temperature for 4 hours. After this, rinse and drain the seeds. Place them in a sprouting basket (a plastic sieve will perfectly do the job) putting a plate below to collect the water. Cover the seeds with a damp cloth and leave them to sprout for 36-48 hours, vaporising water on top of them twice a day (the sprouting time varies according to the room temperature). Once they are ready, dry the sprouts for 8 hours at 42°C or until they are completely dry and crispy. You can keep them for months in an airtight container in the fridge.

for the fig and raspberry sauce
Blend all the ingredients and strain the mixture

COMPOSITION
Place a spoon of fig sauce on the plate together with the cone and the semifreddo. Place half a fig, polished with the agave nectar, on the sauce. Garnish with a rosemary sprig. Wait for 20 minutes before serving. Semifreddi and cones can be kept for a long time in the freezer.