Focaccia: Variations on a Theme

I have a bit of a thing for making focaccia, firstly because it is very easy to make and secondly, because I'm always thinking of different things to put on it.

The top picture is the very traditional rosemary one, but I had a little brainwave when I made the one in the picture below. Inspired by the Italians' use of fennel seeds in their sausages, I thought why not sprinkle some on top of a focaccia? I also used some chilli flakes which give a lovely spike.

I served them with a simple salad of sliced tomatoes, torn mozzarella and fresh basil leaves. Along side was a bowl of good extra virgin olive oil mixed with balsamic vinegar, either for drizzling or dunking.

For a recipe on how to make focaccia, see a previous post here.

Photos: ©childsdesign 2010

Bacon and Chestnut Risotto

Risotto is one of my favourite comfort foods, it's also so versatile, the creamy rice being the perfect foil for a variety of additional ingredients.

Recently, I received a pack of ready-cooked and peeled chestnuts from Merchant Gourmet, so it seemed a perfect opportunity to pull out one of my favourite recipes.
Preparing chestnuts yourself can be tricky and dare I say, a dangerous business. Before cooking it is essential to make a good slit in the side of the chestnut otherwise they can explode on heating. I discovered that they are capable of nearly blowing the oven door off its hinges!
With Merchant Gourmet's chestnuts being peeled too, it saves time as well as preventing painful bits of shell getting stuck down the back of your fingernails.

Here I've combined smoky bacon with the sweetest of chestnuts – these two ingredients have always been perfect partners on the Christmas table, so why not give them a chance any other time of the year too.
Don't be put off by the use of red wine as it gives a good flavour – the colour may be a little suspect but this dish is all about the taste.

Serves 2

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
112g smoked streaky bacon, cut into pieces
1 onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely crushed
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
170g arborio rice
freshly ground black pepper
half a glass red wine
500ml hot chicken stock, it's fine to use a stock cube
knob of butter
20 (approx) ready cooked and peeled chestnuts
grated Parmesan, to serve

Method
Heat the oil in a large heavy saucepan and add the bacon, fry for a couple of minutes and then add the onion and garlic, cook until the raw smell disappears from the onions. Be careful not to let them burn – you just want them to be pale and translucent.

Stir in the thyme and tip in the rice, fry gently, whilst stirring, so that the rice becomes completely coated. Then add the wine, keep stirring until all the liquid has been absorbed. Season generously with black pepper.

Now add a little of the stock and on a gentle heat keep stirring the rice as it cooks to release its starch and give a creamy texture. When the rice has absorbed all the liquid, add more stock. Continue to stir. You will need to repeat this process until all the stock is used up. The risotto is done when the rice has increased in volume. It should have a lightly nutty bite to it and also be moist with a liquid creamy sauce.

Keep the risotto on a low heat while you melt the knob of butter in a frying pan. Add the chestnuts and sauté them until golden, tip them into the risotto along with the butter and mix in well.

Serve in bowls topped with grated parmesan.

For more information about Merchant Gourmet's products, visit their website:
www.merchant-gourmet.com





Food photos: ©childsdesign 2010

Focaccia with Rosemary, Chilli and Lavender

Lately I’ve been having urges to make bread. They are good urges as the results are for me, deeply satisfying.
For reasons that I won’t go into here, I now have more time on my hands and what better way to occupy those hands with the kneading of a big ball of dough. The action of working that dough also seems to relieve all the stresses and strains of life as I pummel and stretch the mixture, which will go on to yield a fulfilling and edible result.

Focaccia originates from Italy and is enriched with olive oil, which gives the bread a soft texture. It can be topped with a variety of things, but rosemary and sea salt is the most common. I chose to take that a step further and used chilli flakes and some dried lavender flowers taking the flavour into another dimension.

Ingredients
1/4 pint hand hot water
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp dry active yeast
500g strong white flour
2 tsp salt
6 tblspn olive oil plus extra
225 ml tepid water (more may be needed)
sea salt flakes for sprinkling
a couple good pinches dried chilli flakes
a couple of pinches of dried lavender flowers
a few sprigs of fresh rosemary
some semolina or polenta for dusting

Method
In large jug mix yeast and sugar into 1/4 pint hand hot water, stir to dissolve. Set aside for about 10 minutes until the liquid develops a froth on top.

In a large bowl mix together the flour and salt. Stir in the olive oil.
Add the yeast liquid and the water and use you hand to mix into a soft dough. The dough should be quite moist and sticky at first.
Turn out on to a well floured surface and knead the dough for about 10 to 15 minutes until the dough no longer sticks to you hands and it becomes elastic and springy to the touch.
It is important to work the dough really well, making sure you stretch it and fold it back in on itself. This works the gluten from the flour so that the dough rises.

Pour a couple of tablespoons of olive oil into a bowl and smear around, drop the dough ball in and cover with a damp tea towel and place in a warm place to rise, for around 1 1/2 hours. After this time the dough should have doubled in size.
Slip the dough out the bowl on to a floured surface, knock back to remove air bubbles – you should be able to hear and feel the air puffing out – and knead again for 5 minutes. Then roll it out in to a flat oval shape. Not thin but slightly less thick than you want it to be when it’s baked.
Place on to an oiled baking sheet that has been dusted with polenta or semolina, cover with a damp tea towel and place somewhere warm for about 30 minutes until it has risen and doubled again.

While it is rising, preheat the oven to 200C, Gas 6.

When the dough has risen, make indentations in it using your fingertips. Drizzle with olive oil and a little water. Sprinkle with sea salt to give an even and light coverage. Do the same again with the chilli flakes. Sprinkle over the pinch of lavender flowers, but be quite sparing as they have a strong flavour. Then pull of a few leaves at a time off the rosemary and push into the dough.

Bake for approximately 20 minutes until golden brown and the loaf moves freely on the baking sheet. Slip on to a wire rack to cool.