Foccacia Bread Recipe

The process of making any kind of bread can, on the surface, put you off before you even start. However the hardest part of the process is kneading the dough which can be made infinitely easier if there is a food mixer with a dough hook to hand, if there isn't it makes a great stress reliever as you pummel the dough about with your hands, imagining all those things you'd like to do to that certain person but would probably get arrested for!! All you have to do then is wait. The smell of the warm dough and rosemary filling the house as the bread bakes is certainly worth it!

Ingredients

400g Strong White Flour

100g plain flour

1 sachet easy blend yeast

2 teaspoons salt

300ml Warm Water

3 tablespoons oive oil

Bunch Fresh Rosemary Leaves

Maldon Salt

Method

1- Combine all of the dry ingredients in a bowl ( except the Rosemary & Maldon Salt)

2- Mix the oil & water together in a jug

3- If using a mixer simply add the liquid to the dry ingredients gradually as the mixer is running until you have a smooth, elastic dough. If mixing by hand it is best to form a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and start mixing in the wet ingredients with a palette knife, then go in with your hands. Kneading for approximately 10 minutes until you have a smooth elastic dough.

4- Bring the dough into a ball,Rub a little olive oil over it to prevent it drying out and cracking then leave to prove, covered with a damp tea towel until doubled in size.

5- Knock the air out of the dough and press into an oiled roasting tin approximately 20 x 30 cm. Cover again and leave to prove again.

6- Once the dough has risen, using your little finger, make a grid of indentations in the dough filling each one with a sprig of rosemary leaves.

7- Sprinkle the dough with the maldon salt and drizzle with olive oil.

8- Bake in a preheated oven (220c) until golden all over.

Best served warm and eaten on the day it is made.

I've started cooking ready meals!

I wouldn't normally advocate the cooking and serving of ready meals. A simple but infinitely tastier supper can be created in just the same, if not less, time than it takes to pierce the film three times and wait for a ping!!
The sort of ready meal I'm talking about is the components of a dinner party, prepped and ready to be cooked by the host....a sort of culinary meccano set.
For the time poor or those with lack of culinary inclination the idea of cooking a three course meal can be a daunting one. What I provide, apart from a sense of relief, is freshly prepared, simple to cook food with full instructions and ingredients lists ( for those who don't want to own up to the 'cheat')
An example dinner party that I've just provided is a starter of pan fried fillet of cod with Salsa Verde and lemon and roasted red pepper dressing, for mains a free range chicken breast stuffed with fresh pesto and buffalo mozzarella wrapped in prosciuto, tomato and white wine sauce, rosemary and rock salt foccacia and green bean vinagrette followed by marinated summer berries with an elderflower sorbet..all ready to go!
Recipe to follow.

Bloody Mary Sorbet Recipe

BLOODY MARY SORBET Makes 1 litre.
This is great for a party, In a shot glass with a stick of celery and a savoury tuile biscuit.

100g caster sugar
2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
Small bunch of basil leaves roughly chopped
500ml tomato juice
80ml vodka
20ml Fino Sherry
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Splash of Tabasco
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper.

1) Dissolve the sugar in 300ml water over a low heat. Once the solution is clear add the celery and bring to the boil. Boil for 5 minutes, then strain the mixture into a bowl and discard the celery. Add the basil to the hot liquid and leave to infuse until cool.
2) Mix the tomato juice, vodka, lemon juice and Worcestershire and Tabasco sauces. Strain the
basil from the syrup then pour the syrup into the tomato mixture.
3) Season, then churn and freeze.

Tips
Alcohol prevents proper freezing so don't go too mad with the vodka and sherry, taste your mix before freezing...the seasoning will need to be very strong at this point as, once frozen, the flavours will deaden slightly.