| Throw another Focaccia on the Grill! |
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Cooking Trips with Annie
Chef Annie is not only the chef on the J&E
Riggin, but
she is also a food columnist and cooking instructor.
She writes a weekly food column for the largest
newspaper in Maine and has been seen on the Today
show cooking alongside Al Roker. Come and learn
from Annie's 25 years in the kitchen. You will make
creative, old world meals with fresh seasonal
ingredients. Help to prepare tasty breads in the early
morning sea air or prepare the days delicious hearty
meals all while enjoying the rugged scenery of the
Maine coast.
Join us for our last six day cooking adventures this
season or book a 3 to 4 day for 2007!
September 18-23, 2006, 6 days, $950
June 7-9, 2007, 3 days, $610
June 10-13, 2007, 4 days, $717
Remember booking a 2007 trip before the end of our
current sailing season requires only a $100 deposit!
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Our good friend, Jim Amaral, is a baker and owns a
fabulous statewide Maine bakery called Borealis
Breads. He
uses organic wheat grown by farmers in Aroostook
County (or “The County” as loacl Mainers call it) and
has done
more for the quality of bread making in the state
than any other business around. He and his family
came sailing with us a few years ago and when he
saw my woodstove, his first comment was about how
great it would be to bake flat bread on TOP of the
stove. Of course I’m used to cooking stews and the
like on top of the stove, but baking bread had never
occurred to me. We tested it out that week in many
different ways. After several tries and the indignity
of having smoke billowing from my galley, I now use
the stovetop at least once a week, most often to
make a basic flatbread. I clear the pots off of the
stove and then clean it. I don’t oil it because of the
aforementioned smoke, but simply throw down a
fairly thin piece of dough directly on the stove
surface. I find myself needing to move it frequently
as there are many hot spots that will scorch the
bread. (Those black spots are now affectionately
called “flavor” in my family, thanks to Jim). Once I’ve
flipped the bread over, I oil it and sprinkle it with salt
and pepper. This bread should be served immediately.
A way to recreate this effect, should you not have a
woodstove handy, is to grill it. Much more modern! I
started grilling bread while working in the Caribbean
as a chef on a yacht as a way to reduce the heat in
the galley. It was a perfect accompaniment to meals
made with fruit salsas, peppers and spices. It’s a
twist on a very traditional way to cook bread as
some folks do in tan door and adobe ovens. I’ve
included some of my favorite toppings here. These
variations will stand on their own as a meal, or could
be an appetizer or an accompaniment to an entrée
Warm hearts and full bellies, Chef Annie
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| Focaccia Dough |
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To make ahead of time: in the morning make the
dough, cover and refrigerate until the afternoon or
early evening.
- 1 1/2 tablespoons dry yeast
- 1-tablespoon salt
- 5 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups warm water
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Cornmeal for dusting
Combine the yeast, salt, and flour in a large bowl.
Stir in all the remaining ingredients, reserving 1/4-cup
water. Add more water if needed.
With a dough hook: knead for 15 minutes on low
speed.
By hand: knead for 10-15 minutes (only 15 more
minutes to make that daily exercise goal!).
Oil the bowl and the top of the dough, cover, and
set aside in a warm, draft free place to rise until
doubled (about 1 hour). Or all day if in the
refrigerator.
Preheat grill on medium heat. After the first rise,
turn the dough out onto a floured counter, divide
into four equal pieces and shape into loose balls.
Work all four pieces flat either with your hands or
with a rolling pin. If the dough is fighting you (keeps
shrinking back when you stretch it), just let it rest
for 5 minutes and continue. Place them on a big,
floured cutting board and walk them to the grill.
Brush the tops of them with olive oil and transfer to
the grill, oil side down. Cook as many as you can at
one time – usually two. Grill with the lid on for 4
minutes on one side and turn. Brush with olive oil
and then place the toppings on and sprinkle with salt
and pepper. Grill for another 4 minutes with the lid
on. Remove and cut into 9-12 pieces.
Makes 4 Flatbreads.
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Print Focaccia Recipe |
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| Topping: Ricotta and Proscuitto |
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- 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
- 2oz. proscuitto
Lay the proscuitto slices on and then dot with ricotta
cheese. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper.
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Print All 4 toppings |
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| Topping: Pancetta, Oyster Mushrooms and Goat Cheese |
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I found local oyster mushrooms at our coop and
couldn’t resist the combination. They were so fresh
that I just gently broke them up with my hands into
the pan. You can substitute button mushrooms if
needed.
- 4 oz. pancetta, diced
- 4 oz. oyster mushrooms
- 4 oz. goat cheese
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Heat a medium sized skillet on medium high heat.
Add the pancetta to the pan and cook until almost
rendered. Add the oyster mushrooms and cook one
minute more.
Spoon the mixture over the focaccia and dot with
goat cheese.
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Print all 4 toppings |
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| Topping: Feta, Lemon, Red Onion and Dill |
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- 4 oz. feta cheese
- 3/4 cup red onion, sliced
- Juice from 1/2 lemon
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
- 1/4-teaspoon salt
- 1/8-teaspoon black pepper
Sprinkle all of the ingredients on top of the focaccia
and once the focaccia has finished cooking, squirt
with the lemon juice.
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Print all 4 toppings |
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| Topping: Tomato and Basil Pesto |
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This is a standard combination that I made for the
kids, turns out they liked the one with ricotta and
proscuitto even better.
- 1/4-cup basil pesto
- 1 tomato, sliced thinly
- 1/4-teaspoon salt
- 1/8-teaspoon black pepper
Spread the focaccia with the basil and distribute the
tomato slices on top. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
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Print All 4 Toppings |
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Photo Credits: Chef Annie-Frank M. Chillemi
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