A sweet and savoury bread treat
Cathy Barrow whips up something savoury to enjoy with a glass of wine.
Tea cake: Two words that evoke date loaves made by my grandmother. Banana bread falls in this category, as does zucchini bread. But I wanted something much more savoury, more appropriate for nibbling alongside a glass of sherry or wine, rather than a cup of tea. So I went the quick-bread route, using olive oil instead of butter, taking out the sugar, adding cornmeal for heft and caramelised onions for oomph. The additions of chives, rosemary and parsley made the loaf attractive, studded with flecks of green.
Olive oil quick bread with pancetta, dates and goat’s cheese
10 servings
Use a sweet, golden olive oil, the more buttery the better. You’ll need a 20cm x 10cm loaf tin. The flavours develop even more after the bread rests for a day, wrapped in foil and refrigerated. Reheat gently for 10 minutes at 160 degrees Celsius if you wish to serve it warm.
❚ 1⁄4 cup pancetta, chopped into pea-size pieces
❚ 1⁄2 medium onion, minced (1⁄2 cup)
❚ 1 1⁄2 cups all-purpose flour
❚ 1⁄2 cup cornmeal
❚ 2 teaspoons baking powder
❚ 1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt
❚ 12 pitted dates, chopped into pea-size pieces (1 cup)
❚ 2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley
❚ 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
❚ 2 teaspoons minced fresh chives
❚ 3⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
❚ 1⁄2 cup whole milk
❚ 3 large eggs
❚ About 1⁄3 cup fresh goat’s cheese, crumbled
Preheat the oven to 180C. Coat the inside of your loaf tin with cooking oil spray. Cook the pancetta in a dry skillet over medium heat until crispy, about eight minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the pancetta to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain. Pour off all but about a teaspoon of the rendered fat in the pan, then return to medium heat and add the onion. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until wilted and lightly browned in spots. Remove from the heat.
Whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl. Add the chopped dates and fresh parsley, rosemary and chives. Use your fingers to break up the sticky pieces and coat them with the flour mixture. This will help keep those solids from sinking to the bottom during baking.
Whisk together the oil, milk and eggs in a liquid measuring jug until well incorporated. Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture and pour in the oil mixture. Use a spatula to gently stir and combine the liquid and dry ingredients. When there are no white streaks remaining, stir in the crispy pancetta, cooked onion and goat’s cheese until evenly distributed.
Scrape the mixture into the prepared tin . Bake (middle rack) for 55 to 65 minutes, until the cake has risen to form a golden brown crown and a toothpick inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
Turn out from the pan on to a wire rack to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving, or cool completely before storing.
This recipe is from Bring It!, by Cathy Barrow, a Washington cookbook author.