For company
Caramelised red-onion and pine nut focaccia
Golden oblong focaccia topped with caramelised red-onion jam, toasted pine nuts, sea salt and fresh wild rocket. Beautiful bread for the Italian table, served on a wooden board.
Finally, the bread! Food and Home South Africa’s June 2016 focaccia, with red-onion jam, pine nuts and wild rocket — made for sharing, and for mopping up every last bit of sauce.
Method
- 01
For the jam, heat the 30 ml olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onions, 2.5 ml salt and thyme and sauté until soft and caramelised, 20–25 minutes. Lower the heat if the onions catch. Add the muscovado sugar and balsamic vinegar and cook for a further 2 minutes. Set aside to cool.
- 02
For the bread, sift the flour, 2.5 ml salt and instant dry yeast into a bowl. Add the water and 30 ml olive oil and mix to form a dough. Turn out onto a floured board and knead until smooth and elastic.
- 03
Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover with a tea towel and set aside to prove until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- 04
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Tip the dough onto an oiled baking sheet and press or roll out lightly into an oblong shape. Cover and set aside to prove for 30 minutes.
- 05
Spread the cooled onion jam over the dough and scatter with the pine nuts. Sprinkle over the sea salt flakes, then bake until golden and cooked through, 25–30 minutes.
- 06
Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack. Top with the wild rocket leaves and serve on a lovely board.
In the glass
Ken Forrester Old Vine Reserve Chenin Blanc — Stellenbosch
A South African Chenin Blanc with enough texture for olive-oil bread and toasted pine nuts. Ripe apple and honeyed notes echo the caramelised onions, while its acidity brings freshness to the balsamic jam and peppery rocket. A lovely chilled glass as the focaccia comes to the table.
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