GRILLED CORN AND FIGS WITH BALSAMIC REDUCTION

6 large ears sweet corn
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1 pound (about 1 pint) ripe fresh figs, preferably a dark variety

For Serving:
1 or 2 tablespoons Drizzling Sauce of Reduced Balsamic Vinegar (see recipe below)
Clean the grill rack very well. Heat it with medium heat, if you’re using a gas grill. If a charcoal grill, ignite and spread a bed of coals in a low layer that will cook all the ears of corn over moderate- not searing- heat. (If you can, adjust the height of the rack, too, to avoid burning the corn.

Shuck the corn and remove the silks. Put the ears in a big bowl or on a tray; pour the olive oil and sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of salt all over them. Roll them around and rub them with your hands so they’re well coated.

To prepare the figs, trim their stems and slice them all in half (through the stem end to the pointy blossom end). Lay the ears of corn on the grill, and cook them for 7 minutes or more, turning them frequently, until the ears are nicely grill-marked and the kernels are tender. Don’t burn them, and do shift them around the grill so they can cook evenly. Let them cool while you grill the figs.
Wipe off the rack, if necessary, and have it hot so the figs don’t stick. Set the fig halves on the rack, cut side down, and cook them only for a minute or so, to caramelize the cut side and soften the flesh. Don’t let them burn or get mushy.
With a sharp knife, slice the grilled kernels off the cobs and gather them in a mixing bowl. Put in the fig pieces and toss together with the corn, adding the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt or more to taste.

Serve warm or at room temperature in a wide bowl or platter. If you’re drizzling with the balsamic reduction, spread the the corn and figs out in a shallow layer on a platter and swirl the vinegar with a teaspoon or fork in think streaks over the top. This will give every spoonful of corn a delicate accent of sauce.

For The Drizzling Sauce:
1 pint (or a 500-milliliter bottle) good-quality balsamic vinegar (commerciale grade)
1 tablespoon honey
1 bay leaf
One of the following (optional):
4 whole cloves
A tender branch fresh rosemary with lots of needles
Several small sprigs fresh thyme with lots of leaves
Pour the balsamic vinegar into a heavy-bottomed saucepan, and place over moderate heat. Stir in the honey, drop in the bay leaf and optional cloves or herbs, and bring to a low boil. Adjust the heat to maintain a steady simmer, and allow the vinegar to reduce slowly. After 1/2 hour or so, when it has lost more than half of its original volume, the vinegar will start to appear syrupy, and you should watch it closely.
Reduce the vinegar even more, until it approaches a quarter of its original volume. Slow bubbles will rise from the syrup, and it will take on the consistency of honey, leaving a thick coating on a spoon. Pour it through a small strainer into a heat-proof bowl or measuring cup. Use a heat-proof spatula or spoon to clean out the saucepan before the reduction sticks to the pot for good! Drizzle on the syrup while it is still warm.
Store in the refrigerator, in a sealed container. It will congeal but keep indefinitely. To use, spoon the hard sauce into a bowl or heatproof measuring cup, and heat it slowly in a pan of hot water or at low level in the microwave. For a thinner consistency, stir in drops of hot water.