Artichoke Focaccini Recipes

ARTICHOKE FOCACCIA

Steps:

• Tip the flour into a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Add the yeast and salt, then gradually pour in 350ml tepid water, stirring as you go. Bring the dough together with a spoon, then with your hands. It should be soft, but not too sticky or wet. If it won't come together, pour in a little extra water; if the dough is too wet, add extra flour. Tip onto a floured work surface and knead for about 10 mins, or until it's smooth, soft and springs back when pushed with a finger. Leave to rise in an oiled bowl covered with cling film in a warm place for 1 hr or Packed with summer flavours until the dough has doubled in size.
• Strip leaves from half the rosemary and finely chop. Break the rest into smaller pieces. Drain the artichokes, reserving the oil, and chop into chunks.
• When risen, tip the dough onto an oiled work surface and roll out into a 35 x 45cm rectangle. Slip an oiled baking sheet under half of the dough. Top the half with artichokes, all the Parmesan and rosemary. Grind over black pepper and drizzle with a little of the reserved oil. Fold over the other dough half, pressing the edges together and under to seal. Leave to rise in a warm place, covered with the oiled cling film, for 30 mins. Heat oven to 240C/fan 220C/gas 9.
• Drizzle with a little more of the oil and make dents in the top with your fingers. Pop the rosemary sprigs into the dents and grate over a little more cheese. Bake for 15 mins, until golden and risen. Cool on a rack for 30 mins, cut into squares and serve.

ARTICHOKE FOCACCIA WITH ROSEMARY

Steps:

• Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Sprinkle the cornmeal over the parchment paper and set aside.
• Place 2 1/2 cups flour in a large mixing bowl. Make a well.
• Pour water and 2 tablespoons oil into well. Sprinkle yeast and salt over the water.
• Stir dough together with a spoon. (Dough will be ragged.)
• Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Add 1/4 cup flour.
• Knead dough for 6-8 minutes, adding very small amounts of flour as needed or until dough is smooth, soft and springs back from the touch.
• Drizzle a small amount of olive oil into the mixing bowl and place dough in bowl. Turn dough so that it's covered with oil.
• Cover with a clean kitchen towel and place in a warm place to rise for 60-90 minutes or until doubled in size.
• Meanwhile, prepare artichoke combination: Combine artichoke hearts, rosemary, garlic, 3 tablespoons olive oil and salt to taste in a bowl. Set aside.
• When the dough has doubled in size, cut the dough into four even pieces.
• On a floured surface, roll each piece into a 6 to 7-inch circle and place on the prepared baking sheet.
• Create a few "dimples" with your finger.
• Sprinkle each circle evenly with Parmesan cheese.
• Place even amounts of the artichoke combination on each of the circles, gently pressing it into the dough.
• Cover with the towel and let rise again another 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Bake for 25-30 minutes.
• Sprinkle with coarse sea salt. Serve, dipped in good extra-virgin olive oil or other seasoned olive oil.

FRESH FOCACCIA WITH MARINATED CHICKEN AND SPINACH AND ARTICHOKE SPREAD

Steps:

• For the chicken: Marinate the chicken in the Balsamic Base for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours in the refrigerator.
• Preheat a grill pan or grill over medium-high heat.
• Let any excess marinade drip off the chicken, and then grill the chicken for 5 to 6 minutes per side until cooked through. Once cooked, let rest 5 to 10 minutes. Then slice thinly on the bias.
• For the spinach and artichoke spread: Squeeze the drained spinach with a kitchen towel to dry it out. Place into a food processor with the sour cream, mayonnaise, garlic, lemon zest and juice. Puree until smooth. Taste for seasoning and add the artichokes. Pulse 2 to 3 times to leave the artichokes slightly chunky.
• For the sandwich build: Cut the Fresh Focaccia in half equatorially. Spread each half with Spinach Artichoke Spread. Then, on the bottom of the bread, sprinkle over the sliced sun-dried tomatoes, top with chicken slices, place a layer of mozzarella down and top with arugula. Place on the other half of bread and cut into as many pieces as you like and enjoy!
• Heat the balsamic vinegar in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Add the brown sugar, salt, pepper, basil, thyme, garlic and shallots into the saucepan and stir. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and let cook until the liquid is reduced by half, 30 to 45 minutes. Once the mixture is reduced, strain it through a fine mesh strainer set over a bowl and let cool. Store the balsamic base in the fridge; it's great in salad dressings, marinades, drizzled over steaks...let your imagination run wild.
• Place the water in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the sugar, sprinkle the yeast over the water and let it bloom until bubbly, 5 to 15 minutes.
• In a mixing bowl, combine the all-purpose and wheat flours together with the salt and chopped rosemary. Gradually add the flour mixture to the bloomed yeast in the mixing bowl. Then add 1/2 cup of the olive oil.
• Using the dough hook attachment, mix the dough on medium speed until it becomes smooth and soft, 8 to 10 minutes. The dough will be very loose.
• Transfer the dough to a clean, floured surface and knead the dough by hand for 2 to 3 minutes.
• Wipe out the bowl you mixed the dough in and then coat the bowl with some olive oil. Return the dough to the oiled bowl and let it rest in a warm place, covered with a dish towel, until doubled in size, 30 to 35 minutes.
• Oil a 9-by-13-inch baking sheet with the remaining 1/2 cup olive oil. Spread the dough into the pan using your fingertips to create dimples into the dough. The more dimples you make, the more texture the bread will have.
• Using a pastry brush, oil the dough and place leaves of rosemary into some of the dimples. Top with the tomato slices and sprinkle with the Parmesan. Cover the dough again with the towel and let rest in a warm spot until doubled in size, another 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degree F and set a rack in the middle of the oven.
• Bake the dough until golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes.

ARTICHOKE TETRAZZINI

Steps:

• Cook linguini in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender.
• Meanwhile, saute mushrooms and onion in butter or margarine with thyme. Remove from heat. Stir in flour. Then stir in chicken broth and half and half. Return to heat, and stir until the sauce boils and thickens. Strain artichokes, and stir the liquid into the sauce. Add the fresh Parmesan.
• Drain linguini, and toss with sauce. Fold in the strained artichokes. Serve immediately.

BAKED STUFFED ARTICHOKES WITH FOCACCIA (THE OLIVE GARDEN)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350ºF.
• ARTICHOKE STUFFING.
• USE scissors to snip off sharp points of each artichoke leaf.
• COMBINE lemon halves, chopped onion, water, wine, bay leaf and peppercorns in a stock pot. Bring to a boil; add artichokes.
• SIMMER until artichokes are tender, about 10-15 minutes. Remove pot from heat and allow artichokes to cool in stock.
• STUFFING:.
• MELT butter in a medium saucepan. Add remaining onions and garlic. Sauté for 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and let cool.
• CUT cooled artichokes in half, lengthwise, exposing inner leaves.
• SCOOP out center prickly leaves with a teaspoon, leaving the choke (heart) intact. Place stuffing in the hollowed-out artichoke.
• TOP with cheeses and bake at 350ºF until center is hot (about 20 minutes).

ARTICHOKE, TOMATO AND ASIAGO FOCACCIA

Steps:

• Scald the milk, and cool to lukewarm, not too hot, or it will kill the yeast (about 100F).
• Mix flour, yeast, oil and milk in a medium bowl, cover and let rest for 20 minutes.
• Sprinkle on salt and mix dough in an electric mixer with dough hook on low medium speed, adding flour as needed until it is sticky and stretchy, and comes away from the sides of the bowl. (You can knead by hand, it will just take longer.).
• Let dough rest, covered, 30 minutes, knead again for about 5 minutes. The dough should be very sticky, but hold together in a ball.
• Rinse and drain artichoke hearts, and finely chop.
• Mix artichokes, tomatoes, and cheese, set aside.
• The tomatoes will absorb any excess moisture from artichokes and soften nicely.
• Let the dough rise until doubled, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• Scrape out onto a floured countertop or large cutting board.
• Shape the dough into a rough rectangle.
• Roll with a floured rolling pin to about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick.
• Top roughly 2/3 of the dough with cheese, tomatoes, and artichokes, the mixture should be damp, but not dripping wet.
• Fold dough into thirds, like an envelope, with the empty third over the center, and the other side over that, and roll again gently, until the fillings just begin to be visible through the top of the dough.
• Place dough on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or silpat.
• Preheat oven to 450F; let dough rise, loosely covered, 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until puffy and soft.
• Brush dough with olive oil. Use fingers to make several small dimples in bread.
• Sprinkle with kosher salt, and more cheese if you like.
• Bake for 15 minutes, rotating pan after 10 minutes.
• Let cool slightly before cutting into squares.