Food & Drink
Fresh out of the oven focaccia or sunflower seed soda bread is one of life’s great pleasures. Treat yourself
Carina Contini bakes bread, plus Rose Murray Brown on trends in the wine world to look out for
This time last year I was heading into hospital for my hysterectomy. My doctor promised me it would be one of the best things I would do and he was right. Not only are my symptoms long gone, my personality has changed.
I’ve lost those scary, unpredictable mood changes. My children keep asking, “Where is our mummy, this one is too nice”, as I am calmer, less spiky and coping with life better.
I’ve never taken medication to balance out my hormones. I always tried to manage this via my diet. However, that vicious emotional rollercoaster often got fuelled by a higher sugar intake.
By October or November last year I was starting to worry that I didn’t have that edge or drive. It took me a lot of self-analysis and a bit of coaching to realise I did, but I was travelling at a safer and more productive pace. More like my new smooth electric car than my old bumpy manual Fiat.
I’m definitely eating fewer sweets now. Instead I’m eating more good carbohydrates including oldfashioned bread and butter. For years I cut bread out of my diet but over these winter months there isn’t anything more comforting.
We can often be frightened of the unknown. Many of us are scared to go to the doctor and check we’re OK. I suffered unnecessarily for too long thinking it was just my age.
Those around me suffered too.
A big sorry to all those who know me well enough to have noticed the difference. I’m learning for my future. Don’t wait to fix a problem. If you have any worries, get some advice. And enjoy a little bread and butter along the way. n
Focaccia
We make this lovely light bread in all our restaurants. I love it dipped in some new season olive oil.
Makes one 30cm square tray sized focaccia
700g strong white flour
15g fresh yeast
400ml warm water
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 15g salt
1 tsp sugar
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, stalks removed and very finely chopped Maldon salt
1 Mix the water, yeast and sugar together and let it foam.
2 Warm the flour in the mixing bowl in the oven, then add the yeast mixture and mix with the dough hook for about 10 to 15 minutes until the dough is elastic.
3 Set the bowl with the dough aside and cover with clingfilm. Leave in a warm part of your kitchen for about 30 minutes until it has doubled in size. Transfer the dough onto a floured surface and gently knock it back.
4 Lightly grease a one-inch deep 30cm square baking tray and transfer the dough into the tray. Make holes in the dough with your fingers and fill them with a little more oil.
5 Cover and allow to prove for another 30 minutes until it has doubled in size again. Remove the cover and gently place the rosemary on top of the dough.
6 Bake in a hot oven 190C/gas Mark 5 for 25 minutes until the dough is crispy on top but spongy and cooked in the middle.
Hot marmalade creams
This fragrant chilled batter turns into the creamiest, slightly curdled, hot-set custard. The texture is very unusual but don’t worry – the sensation when you eat it is a real treat.
Serves six
50g unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus extra for greasing 20g plain flour
75g caster sugar
2 eggs, separated juice of ½ unwaxed lemon juice of ½ orange finely grated zest of 1 orange finely grated zest of 1 unwaxed lemon
150ml full-fat milk
100ml single cream, plus 6 tbsp to finish
6 tsp home-made marmalade
1 Put the butter, flour, sugar, egg yolks, lemon and orange juices and zests, milk and cream in a blender, and blend until smooth. Refrigerate for about 2 hours.
2 Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180C/gas Mark 4.
3 Grease 6 individual heat-resistant glasses or ramekins and place in a bain-marie. Put one teaspoon of marmalade in each glass.
4 Beat the egg whites until stiff in a clean, dry bowl. Gently fold the beaten whites into the chilled batter. Divide the mixture between the glasses.
5 Fill the bain-marie with warm water and carefully place in the oven. Bake for 30-40 minutes until golden,
topping up the water if necessary to ensure the marmalade creams cook evenly.
6 Remove from the oven and place one tablespoon of cream into the middle of each pudding for a pleasant hot/cold sensation.
Sunflower seed soda bread
If you have buttermilk this is the quickest bread you can possibly make. And it’s delicious hot from the oven.
Makes one loaf
180g plain flour
180g wholemeal flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda 300ml buttermilk
25g sunflower seeds, plus extra for decoration
10g butter, melted
1 Sieve all the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl and form a well in the middle.
2 Pour the butter and buttermilk into the well and mix all the ingredients together. The mixture should be dry enough to handle. Knead for a few minutes until all the ingredients are incorporated.
3 Form into a circle and then flatten slightly. Cut a cross on the top of the bread and brush it with milk and scatter the extra sunflower seeds on top.
4 Bake at 200C/gas Mark 6 for about 30 minutes until golden and hollow sounding when you tap the bottom. Cool on a wire cooling tray.