For the bank holiday weekend three generations of women in my family went to Norfolk– my grandma, my mum and me. The car was packed full with us, two cats (Figaro who has now returned, slightly larger than before but not as large as he used to be – see post) and my dog Sally.
We may have been in the English countryside but my cooking palette was in Italy so I thought I would try and combine the two.
After a long drive up from London we had a snack of local asparagus (the first of the season, which was early this year) with a lemon vinaigrette dressing. I then got to work on kneading the dough for the focaccia and pizzas; I was in a real bread-making mood! I just about had enough time for a brisk walk across the fields before the sun set, my dough rose and it was time to finish off the pizzas. My grandma is a semi-pescatarian (she eats white meat and fish but prefers vegetarian dishes) so I hadn’t quite escaped ‘The Vegetarian’ for the weekend. I decided to make a pescatarian and a vegetarian pizza.
For dessert we had strawberries and blueberries with a dollop of yoghurt and drizzle of local honey.
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| Asparagus with lemon vinaigrette |
Mama’s Lemon Vinaigrette
Finally, I was taught mama’s famous lemon vinaigrette dressing and now I can share it with you. It’s not actually famous it’s just that my grandma and I can never make it as good as her so we insisted on a step by step lesson. It’s quite simple actually.
10tbsp olive oil
5tbsp lemon juice
½ tsp English mustard
Pinch off brown sugar
Sea salt and black pepper
1tsp white wine vinegar
Add all ingredients together and test for flavour.
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| Focaccia with Rosemary |
Focaccia with Rosemary
Focaccia is eaten all over Italy. Classic focaccia is famous for the many indentations that cover the surface. Fred Plotkin says ‘the bread should be like a series of hills and valleys.’ Some regions add dry white wine to the dough and you can also add toppings such as onions, tomatoes, peppers and cheese. Here is a classic focaccia recipe, based on one by Aldo Zilli.
Makes: 1 loaf
750g strong white untreated flour
1 tsp salt
1½ tsp easy bake yeast
4tbls butter, melted
450ml warm water
Olive oil
Sea salt
Sprig of rosemary, torn
Sift together the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl and stir in the yeast. Add the butter and rub the mixture until it looks similar to breadcrumbs before stirring in the warm water.
Turn out the dough onto a well-floured surface and knead until it is smooth and springs back when gently pressed. Place into a lightly oiled bowl, cover with cling film and leave in a warm place (I use an airing cupboard) for 45 minutes. The dough should almost double in size.
Heat the oven to 200º/Gas mark 7.
Gently knead the dough and knock back the air, then roll into a shape to fit your pan with the thickness of 2cm. Place on a greased baking sheet. Using floured fingers make indentations at 2.5cm intervals. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and rosemary.
Bake in the oven for 5 minutes, and then reduce temperature to 180º/Gas mark 6 and cook for a further 10 minutes.
Can be served warm or cold.
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| Pescatarian Pizza |
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| Vegetarian Pizza |
Pizza: As I was making focaccia as well as pizza I was aware this was a pretty bready dinner so decided to mix strong white untreated flour with wholemeal flour for the base. It was a healthy and interesting alternative to the usual white pizza base. The flour was particularly delicious as it was super fresh from the local mill at Garboldisham, Norfolk.
Pizza Base:
250g strong untreated white flour
250g wholemeal flour
7g easy bake yeast
Pinch of sugar
1tsp salt
250/300ml warm water
2tbsp olive oil
Tomato sauce:
1 packet passata (approx 400g)
Small onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
Sprig of thyme and rosemary
1 bay leaf
Olive oil
Sea salt and black pepper
Toppings:
Mozzarella, sliced
Small chunk of Parmesan, grated
P: 2 small cans tuna fish
9 anchovy fillets, drained
10 calamity olives, pitted and halved
V: Handful of spinach
Portobello mushroom, thinly sliced
5 cherry tomatoes, halved
Tomato sauce: Fry the onion in a little oil until colour starts to turn, add the garlic for a few minutes and pour over the passata. Sprinkle the sauce with the fresh herbs and season to taste. Leave to cook on a low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Pizza Base: Sift together the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl and sprinkle in the yeast. Stir in the olive oil and gradually add the water to make a soft dough.
Turn out the dough onto a well-floured surface and knead until it is smooth and springs back when gently pressed. Place into a lightly oiled bowl, cover with cling film and leave in a warm place (I use an airing cupboard) for 45 minutes. The dough should almost double in size.
Heat the oven to 200º/Gas mark 7.
Gently knead the dough and knock back the air. Cut the dough in half. Grease two baking trays and gently roll each piece of dough to fit each tray (mine were approx 10x10”).
Spoon on the tomato sauce, scatter with the mozzarella followed by your choice of toppings and finishing with a sprinkle of grated Parmesan.Cook in the oven for 15/20 minutes.
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