Oliaigua with figs

Ingredients

• 1 kg very ripe summer tomatoes

• 2 onions

• 2 green peppers

• 4 garlic cloves

• Parsley

• Olive oil

• Bread for soup

• Cristià or paratjal figs

• Fried potatoes

• Salt

• 1 teaspoon sugar

• 1 litre water

Optional

• Capers

• Sliced olives

• Melon

Method

Pour a generous amount of olive oil into an earthenware casserole and begin the sofrito with the onions cut into rings.

When they start to colour, add the garlic and green peppers cut into pieces. These can be larger than those normally used when preparing a sofrito for a rice dish. Finally, add the peeled tomatoes cut into quarters.

Season lightly with salt each time a new ingredient is added. When adding the tomatoes, also add a teaspoon of sugar.

Cook the sofrito slowly over a low heat, allowing it to confit as much as possible.

Once it is thoroughly cooked and concentrated, add one litre of water —preferably not tap water—, taste and adjust the salt if necessary.

Increase the heat, but the oliaigua must never be allowed to boil. As soon as the light foam that appears just before boiling begins to form, turn off the heat and take the earthenware casserole to the table.

Serving

Place a couple of dishes or serving platters of fried potatoes with garlic and bay leaf in the centre of the table. Serve three or four figs per person alongside each plate. Some people also serve melon with oliaigua.

Place the bread for the soup in each dish. Before pouring the oliaigua over it, you may add a spoonful of capers and sliced olives. As they warm in the oliaigua, they give the dish a very distinctive flavour.