Ingredients

FOR 2
• ½ tsp ground coriander
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• ¼ tsp smoked paprika
• pinch of caraway seeds
• pinch of red pepper flakes
• ½ tsp dried mint
• pinch of salt
• 3 tsp runny honey
• 6 fresh figs
• 6 merguez sausages (or Spanish chorizo)
• smidge of oil
• 1/3 cup / 1¼ oz / 35g slivered almonds
• 1 3/4 oz / 50 g dark green salad leaves
• handful of frisee (curly endive) lettuce

FOR THE DRESSING
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp orange flower water
• ½ tsp harissa paste (optional: it is HOT)
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• salt

Instructions

1. Preheat the broiler. Mix the spices, mint, and salt with the honey. Make a cut through each fig from the top to within a few millimeters of the base, followed by another at right angles to the first cut, so that you effectively end up with a cross cut through the top of the fruit.
2. Pinch the 4 quarters created by the incisions so that the fig opens up like a flower, and divide the spiced honey between the figs. Broil them for around 1½ minutes until the fruit starts to sizzle. Turn the oven off, but leave the figs sitting there to retain their heat.
3. Slice the merguez on the diagonal into ½ in / 1 cm thick oval slices. Heat a teeny bit of oil in a pan and cook the sausage for around 3 minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon. Toast the almonds in the same pan for a minute or so until they start to color.
4. Toss the greens in a bowl. Whisk the ingredients for the dressing together. Arrange the figs on top of the salad, and scatter with merguez and almonds. Drizzle with the dressing and serve with crusty bread.