L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2019 www.italoamericano.org 30 L'Italo-Americano LA BUONA TAVOLA RECIPES COOKING TIPS SEASONAL DISHES FRANK FARIELLO Continued to page 32 B ack in the day, one of our favorite pla- ces for a nice affor- dable meal close by our apartment in central Rome was Taverna Parione. Located on a small side street off tourist-mobbed piazza Navona, despite its location it was the real deal, with excellent food, especially the pizzas and pastas. But my very favorite part of the meal was the starter we never failed to order: focaccia Genove- se, the world-renowned flatbread from Genoa, served with spark- ling fresh mozzarella shipped in daily from lower Lazio and vel- vety prosciutto, sliced fresh to order right off the bone. Taverna Parione (like many places in Rome, if you knew where to look for them) offered simple, genuine and affordable eating of the kind that's nigh on impossible to find in restaurants in this country, for love or money. But you can recreate that kind of experience, at home. Focaccia Genovese, or fügassa in local dialect, is not at all hard to make, albeit a bit time-consuming with its multiple risings. Your patien- ce will pay off with a delicious savory snack, crispy on the out- side, tender on the inside. And addictively delicious. I'm still amazed something so flavorful can come from just flour, water, salt and oil. A well made focaccia is deli- cious on its own, just sprinkled with some coarse salt. But I usually like to enjoy it the way we used to back then, accompa- nied by sliced prosciutto and fresh mozzarella cheese In Liguria itself, it is often baked with toppings—rosemary, sliced onion, cherry tomatoes or olives being some of the most common. However you choose to make it, make a large portion. It will disappear quickly. Ingredients Makes one tray of focaccia, approximately 9″x13″ 250ml (1 cup) lukewarm water 1 tsp dried yeast 300 g (2-1/2 cups) all-purpose flour, or a bit more if needed 1 tsp honey 1 tbs salt 2 tbs olive oil For finishing the focaccia: 2-3 tbs water 2-3 tbs olive oil Coarse salt Optional: Rosemary leaves Thinly sliced onions, moiste- ned with a drizzle of olive oil Olives Cherry or grape tomatoes Directions Whisk the lukewarm water and yeast in the bottom of the bowl of a standing mixer. Let the mixture rest for 5-10 minutes. Add one cup of the flour and mix with the dough hook until you have a smooth paste. Then add the salt, honey and olive oil, and finally the rest of the flour. Continue mixing with the dough hook until you have a nice, elastic and just slightly sticky ball of dough. Slide the dough off the hook and into the mixing bowl. Form a ball and cover the bowl with a towel. Let the dough rest for a good 2 hours (or more) in a warm place until it has doubled in size. (If your kitchen is a bit cool, you can place the bowl inside a turned-off oven). Pour a bit of olive oil on a baking sheet. Then scoop the dough out of its bowl onto the baking sheet. Flatten it out into a roughly rectangular shape and turn it over to grease both sides. Cover it with some plastic wrap or wax paper and then a light towel. Let the dough rest in the baking pan for about 20-30 minutes or so, to soften. Now spread the dough out with your hands, until it thinly and evenly covers the entire sur- face of the baking pan. Cover the dough again and let it rest in a warm place for a good 45-60 minutes to rise. Mix the oil and water in a measuring cup and pour it over the dough. Spread it out over the surface of the dough with the palms of your hands. Focaccia Genovese can be topped with a variety of things, including rosemary (Copyright: Dreamstime) Genoa's pride and glory: focaccia Genovese

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