Cherry Tomato & Rosemary Focaccia
Ingredients: Serves 6-8
- 500g strong white bread flour
- 7g sachet fast action yeast
- 2 tsp fine salt
- 5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 375ml lukewarm water
- 1 tsp of Maldon salt
- 250g cherry tomatoes, halved
- 5 sprigs of rosemary
- Extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar, to serve
Method:
Start by placing the flour into a large bowl. On one side of the bowl add the yeast and the on the other side add the fine salt, then mix everything together with a wooden spoon until combined. Create a well in the middle of the mixture and pour in the lukewarm water and 2 tbsp of olive oil, and then mix until you have a sticky dough. You can either knead this on a lightly floured surface for 10 minutes, or you can do this in an electric mixer with the dough hook attachment – knead until the dough is smooth and slightly less sticky. Once kneaded place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a clean tea towel. Leave in a warm place and allow the dough to prove for 1 hour until it has double in size.
Preheat the oven to 200˚C. After the dough has proved, knock the air out by kneading it again briefly and deflating it. Grease a 25 x 35 cm baking tin with olive oil. Pull and stretch the dough so it roughly fills the bottom of the tin, then place the tea towel back over it and leave it to prove once again for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes your dough is ready to top. Use your fingers to make dimples in the top of the dough and to help spread it into the corners of the tin. Dot the cherry tomato halves across the top and then add small sprigs of the rosemary in and around them. Drizzle over 2 tbsp olive oil and sprinkle with Maldon sea salt. Place into the hot oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown on top and the tomatoes have softened and charred slightly.
Remove from the oven and drizzle over the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil to soak into the warm bread. Allow to cool slightly before removing from the tin and slicing up whilst still warm. Serve with a mixture of olive oil and balsamic vinegar to dip the bread into.
Spanish Paella with Monkfish, Prawns, Squid & Mussels
Serves: 6
Ingredients: Serves 6
• A large pinch of saffron strands
• 500ml chicken stock
• 100ml white wine
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 red pepper, deseeded
and finely diced
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 100g chorizo, diced
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 250g paella rice
• 4 ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 1 tsp Maldon salt
• Cracked black pepper
• 200g monkfish, diced into chunks
• 6 large prawns, shells on
• 2 squid, cleaned, body cut into rings and tentacles kept whole
• 12 mussels, scrubbed clean
• 50g frozen peas
• A small handful of parsley, chopped
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges
Method:
Place the saffron in a glass with 1 tbsp water and allow it to steep and infuse. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a paella pan, then add the finely chopped onion and red pepper with a pinch of Maldon salt. Cook the onion and pepper for 5 minutes until softened, then add the crushed garlic and chorizo. Fry this for a further 3 minutes until the garlic is softened and the chorizo is sizzling and fragrant.
Next add the smoked paprika and the paella rice. Stir this so it is well mixed with the other vegetables and chorizo and gently fry for a couple of minutes. Next add the white wine and allow this to bubble and mostly cook away before adding the chicken stock, saffron water and chopped tomatoes. Season the mixture with Maldon salt and cracked black pepper, mixing to combine. Now allow the mixture to bubble simmer for 5 minutes before dotting in the monkfish pieces, and then leaving to cook for a further 5 minutes.
After 5 minutes mix in the squid rings and tentacles, the frozen peas and the prawns. Allow these to cook for 3 minutes before finally adding the mussels to the top of the pan. Loosely cover the pan with tin foil and allow the mussels to steam and open up – this should only take 2 minutes.
Once all the seafood is perfectly cooked you are ready to serve. Top the paella with the chopped parsley, a final pinch of Maldon salt and the lemon wedges to be squeezed over. Bring the whole pan to the table to serve your guests.