Leek Sausage And Ricotta Focaccia Recipes

ONION-AND-LEEK FOCACCIA

Steps:

• Add flour to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment. In a liquid-measuring cup, stir together water and yeast until yeast is dissolved. Add yeast mixture to flour and mix on medium speed until combined. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand in a warm place until doubled in bulk and bubbling, about 2 hours.
• In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-low. Add onions and slowly cook until dark golden and caramelized, about 45 minutes. Let cool.
• Add salt and onions to dough and mix on low speed 5 minutes. Increase speed to medium and mix 30 seconds (dough should be loose and sticky).
• Using a dough scraper, turn dough out onto a well-floured surface. Fold bottom edge of dough up toward center of dough and pat gently to deflate. Fold top edge down toward center, overlapping bottom edge slightly and pat gently. Repeat folding process 8 to 9 times, tapping off excess flour as you work (dough will be difficult to handle, but try not to incorporate too much flour). Gently transfer dough to a large bowl, seam-side down. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
• Turn dough out again onto a well-floured surface; repeat folding process. Return dough to bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let stand in a warm place until doubled in volume, 1 hour more.
• Place a pizza stone on floor of a gas oven with racks removed or bottom rack of an electric oven. Preheat oven to 450 degrees at least 45 minutes (425 degrees if using a convection oven).
• Slice leeks lengthwise 1/4 inch thick. Rinse well and pat dry. Coat leeks, rosemary, and chives with 1 tablespoon oil.
• Use remaining 1/3 cup oil to coat surface of a 13-by-17-inch rimmed baking sheet. Turn dough out onto sheet, coating bottom with oil. Using oiled fingertips, push dough out toward edges of sheet. If dough starts to retract, let stand 5 minutes, then continue until it reaches edges of sheet. Arrange leeks, chives, and rosemary lengthwise on dough, pressing gently to adhere. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand 45 minutes, occasionally pressing dough toward edges.
• Liberally sprinkle dough with flaky salt. Dough should be well oiled; if necessary, drizzle with up to 2 tablespoons more oil.
• Bake, rotating halfway through, until bottom is golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes. Immediately slide focaccia out of pan onto a wire rack. Drizzle with any reserved oil in pan and sprinkle with more flaky salt. Let cool slightly. Foccacia may be served warm or at room temperature.

LEEK, SAUSAGE AND RICOTTA FOCACCIA

Steps:

• Place the flours,yeast and salt into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times to incorporate. Then, with the machine running, add the olive oil, honey, and 1 1/4 to 1 1/12 cups of water until the dough forms a slightly sticky ball. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead a few times until it forms a smooth ball. Place the dough into an oiled bowl, cover with a towel and allow to rise until doubled in size - either 2 hours at room temperature or 8 or so hours in the fridge.
• Once the dough is ready, preheat the oven to 450. Grease a baking pan with about 1 tbsp of olive oil and press the focaccia dough across the pan until it reaches the outer edges. Cover with a towel and allow to rest while you prepare the toppings, 30-40 minutes (or until it looks a bit puffed).
• Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage to the pan and brown, breaking it into bits with a spatula as you cook, 10-12 minutes. Once the sausage is browned, remove with a slotted spoon and set aside in a bowl.
• Keeping the heat at medium-high, add 2 tbsp butter to the remaining fat rendered from the sausage. Once the butter foams, add the leeks and sprinkle with a bit of salt. Sautee, stirring occasionally, until the leeks are caramelized around the edges, 10-12 minutes.
• Once the focaccia dough has finished resting, dimple the surface with your fingers and rub with another tablespoon of olive oil. Then, spread 1/2 c. of ricotta over the surface of the dough. Top with the browned crumbled sausage, leeks, and dollops of the remaining half cup of ricotta. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
• Place the dough in the oven and reduce the heat to 350. Bake 25 minutes until the crust is golden brown and crispy. Remove from the oven and top with fresh parmesan, chives and balsamic reduction. Slice and serve immediately.

POTATO AND LEEK FOCACCIA

Steps:

• Combine the water, yeast and sugar together in a large bowl. Let sit until the yeast is activated and foamy, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Stir in the flour and salt to make a shaggy, sticky dough. Pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the dough and turn to coat the dough with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 18 to 24 hours.
• When you are ready to bake, coat a metal 9-by-13-inch baking pan with butter and pour 2 tablespoons oil into the pan. Gently fold the dough over itself a few times in the bowl, then transfer it to the prepared pan and turn it over to coat with oil. Arrange the dough seam-side down and let it rise, uncovered, until it almost covers the bottom of the pan, about 2 hours.
• Just before the dough has finished rising, heat your oven to 425 degrees and set a rack in the center.
• When you are ready to bake, combine the sliced leeks and potatoes in a large bowl. Strip the leaves from the thyme and add them to the bowl along with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper; toss to combine evenly.
• Use your fingertips to dimple the dough and gently push it to evenly cover the bottom of the pan. Arrange the leeks and potatoes in an even layer over the dough. Bake until the focaccia is golden on the edges and the leeks begin to brown, about 30 minutes.
• Sprinkle the top with cheese and bake for 5 minutes more. Let cool slightly before serving.

SAUSAGE AND LEEK CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Heat oil in a heavy bottomed skillet on medium-high heat. Saute the leeks with a pinch of salt and pepper, red pepper flakes, and 1/8 teaspoon cayenne. When the leeks are translucent raise the heat to high and add the sausage and cook for 8 minutes or until browned. Remove from heat and allow the mixture to cool.
• In a separate bowl whisk the eggs together with the cream, milk, the remaining cayenne, a pinch of black pepper and salt.
• Cut the baguette into cubes and put in the bottom of a 9 by 9-inch glass casserole dish. Sprinkle the bread with the Cheddar cheese. Pour the sausage and leek mixture and egg mixture on top. Top with pepper jack cheese. Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• The next morning remove from refrigerator. Put in the middle of the oven and bake for 45 minutes or until a knife is removed cleanly from the middle. Remove from oven and allow the casserole to stand for 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

CHEESY BAKED PASTA WITH SAUSAGE AND RICOTTA

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425 degrees. Heat oil in a 12-inch ovenproof skillet over medium-high. Crumble sausage into skillet, using a spoon to break it into small pieces. Cook until starting to brown, stirring occasionally, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in garlic, oregano, fennel seeds and red-pepper flakes (if using), and cook another 1 to 2 minutes.
• Stir in whole tomatoes and their juice, using a spoon to break them up. Add crushed tomatoes, bay leaves and 2 teaspoons salt, and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes to thicken slightly.
• Stir in pasta and 1 cup water and return to a simmer. Continue to simmer for 2 minutes, stirring frequently to make sure pasta doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat, pluck out the bay leaves, and fold in about a third of the mozzarella.
• Top pasta with remaining mozzarella and dollops of ricotta. Sprinkle with Parmesan, then transfer to oven. Bake until pasta is tender when poked with a fork, and cheese is bubbly and lightly golden, 18 to 22 minutes. (If you'd like a more deeply browned topping, run the pan under the broiler for 1 or 2 minutes.) Remove from oven and let cool slightly before serving. Top with basil, plenty of black pepper, and more red-pepper flakes, if you like.