Ingredients
1/2 cup red-wine vinegar
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon light-brown sugar
1 tablespoon juniper berries
10 whole black peppercorns
2 whole cloves
1 cup dried Black Mission figs, stemmed
12 ounces pancetta, sliced into 1/8-inch-thick rounds and cut into 1/2-inch-thick strips
Preparation
Bring vinegar, water, sugar, juniper berries, peppercorns, and cloves to a boil in a small saucepan. Add figs, and simmer gently for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Let stand, covered, to bring to room temperature.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Transfer figs to a cutting board using a slotted spoon; cut in half. Wrap a pancetta strip around each half. Transfer, seam side down, to a wire rack set on a baking sheet. Bake until pancetta is browned, about 30 minutes. Secure each with a toothpick. Serve warm.
