Poached cinnamon and saffron-scented figs with frozen vanilla yogurt

Method

1. First make the frozen yogurt. Slit the vanilla pod lengthways and scrape out the contents of the pod in a bowl. Add in the yogurt and stir well.

2. Divide the yogurt mixture among 4 small freezer-proof ramekins and freeze.

3. Make the stock syrup. Heat the water, sugar and lemon juice in a saucepan. Bring to the boil and cook briskly until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture thickened into a syrup.

4. Bring 300ml of the stock syrup and 2 cinnamon sticks to simmering point in a pan.

5. Slit a vanilla pod lengthways and scrape out the contents of the pod into the simmering stock syrup.

6. Add the port and saffron to the syrup, then the figs.

7. Simmer the figs for 4-5 minutes. Leave the figs in the syrup and cool to lukewarm.

8. Remove the cooled figs from the syrup and cut a 1cm-deep cross in the top of each fig.

9. Place 3 figs on each of four serving plates and drizzle the syrup over and around them. Top the figs with a portion of frozen yogurt and decorate each serving with a vanilla pod and a cinnamon stick. Serve.