Fresh fig, Parma ham, and Rocket salad with Cabernet Sauvignon reduction

It's a scorching hot day. The kind where you'd rather not do anything, cause moving translates into sweating, unless it's in the direction of the pool or the sea.

Guests flew in from blustery England this morning. I could think of no better February salad than this one to welcome them in:

Fresh Fig, Parma ham and Rocket salad with Cabernet Sauvignon reduction

I was planning on going with the old goat's cheese standard, but this submission on my new fave Drizzle and dip blog, which credits Jamie Oliver, gave me the idea to use mozzarella instead. I love mozzarella. I think mostly because it's a word with two 'z's and two 'l's. Which ups it's dialogue cred and also makes it sound sultry in an Italian- only kind of way. If you can't get hold of a sufficiently sultry mozz, I recommend a nice Chevin (not the same sex appeal, really but you can't have it all)

• about 50ml cabernet sauvignon vinegar ( I use Willow Creek's) 
• 5ml sugar 
• Fresh figs (I used both purple and green)
• Parma Ham, thinly sliced 
• Buffalo mozzarella ( I use fior di latte from Puglia cheese, available at good deli's) 
• Rocket
• olive oil
• Black pepper

1. Place the vinegar and sugar in a small saucepan and whisk until sugar is dissolved. Bring to beoil and allow to reduce to a syrup- y consistency. To test, remove from the heat, dribble a bit on a cold saucer and refrigerate for a minute. If it's syrupy then, it's ready. 
2. Quarter the figs (you want to expose those blushed pink cushions inside, don't you?) and arrange on a platter with the other ingredients, shredding the mozzarella by hand. 
3. Drizzle olive oil and reduction over, and perk up with some freshly ground black pepper. Welcome back. 

Pop the leftovers on a piece of crusty bread from The Baker Boyz at the HPF Saturday food and wine market. Oh, yes.