Ingredients
CRUST
1/2 tbsp yeast
1 cup lukewarm water
1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
2 tsp parsley
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp wheat germ
3 cup flour
TOPPING
3 medium potatoes, diced
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 salt & pepper
1 olive oil, for brushing
1 parsley, chopped
Directions
In a mixing bowl, combine the yeast, water, sugar, salt, oil &
parsley. Let stand until the yeast starts to froth. Mix in the wheat
germ & 1 c flour. Beat well & let sit for 5 minutes. Knead in the
remaining flour & knead until the dough is soft & pliable. Lightly
oil a clean bowl & cover with a towel. Let rise until doubled in
bulk.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet & saute the potaotes until
they are soft. Remove from heat & set aside. Preheat oven to 350F.
Roll out the dough to fit into a cookie sheet or on a pizza stone.
Lightly sprinkle the cookie sheet with cornmeal & place the dough on
the sheet. Stretch into the corners & build up the edges slightly.
Let rest for 10 minutes.
Brush the dough with olive oil & spread the potatoes over the top.
Generously salt & grind fresh black pepper over the top & finish with
the fresh parsley. Bake for 25 minutes or until the crusts are done.
Cut up & serve immediately or let cool. This is equally good cold &
served at room temperature.
NOTE: I think that this recipe still needs something to pick it up a
little if you have any ideas, please let me know. It is based on a
recipe a friend of mine ordered in Glasgow in an Italian Restaurant,
she apparently orders it a lot, I had never seen it before. There is
a lot of starch, but don't let that put you off. I found it better
cold than hot, but that may be my preference.
Recipe by Mark Satterly.
Servings: 1 foccacia
Potato Foccacia Recipe brought to you by Recipe Ideas
Categories: Italian; Vegetable
The History of Recipes
It is possible to track the history of meal recipes far back into the distant past, in fact as far back into recorded history as the Egyptians, and maybe further still. Interesting though that is, sadly, these ancient records were just simple hieroglyphic instructions for food preparation.
In fact, the most ancient recipe discovered, according to Professor Solomon Katz, are a few clay tablets in the Sumerian language which describe the making of bread which is then used to make a drink, quite possibly a form of beer as it is recorded as having made those who drank it feel wonderful. Later on, in The time of the romans around 25BC a roman called Apicius created a few scripts showing how to cook the recipes prepared by his fellow Romans. In his scrolls, he describes how the meals were separated into appetizers, entrees and dessert, known in latin as `Gustatio, Primae Mensae and Secundae Mensae`. This early Roman chef tells us how the early Romans were skilled in the use of many aromatic flavours, including some that we all recognise for example thyme, mint and asafoetida. For the decades that followed, the families of Europe strove to serve the best banquets, and consequentially the best cooks and their recipe collections were highly sought after. However, it was during the 1800s that haute cuisine and cookery books became popular. Mrs Isabella Beeton in the UK, and the equally well-known Fannie Merritt Farmer in the USA, devoted much of their lives to collecting, trying out, and writing down the recipes of their peers. By the time we get to the 20th century, cookbooks were starting to become popular due to better eduction, people having more leisure time and being a little richer. The arrival of television gave us celebrity TV chefs and the spin-off recipe books. Which pretty much brings us to the present day and the invention of computers and the internet, permitting everybody to access massive numbers of recipes like the ones you can find on our site. |
We hope you enjoy this Potato Foccacia recipe.
