World on a plate

Passport & Plate - Rosemary and grape focaccia

Malaysia | Friday, March 14, 2014 | 1 photos

Ingredients
50ml extra virgin oilve oil, 450g plain flour, 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda, 375ml buttermilk, a few sprigs of rosemary, 1 cup unseeded Concord grapes, sea salt

 

How to prepare this recipe
1) Preheat the oven to 230 degree Celcius. Brush your baking tin generously with olive oil.

2) Sift the flour, salt and baking soda into a bowl and make a well in the centre. Pour in most of the buttermilk.

3) Mix in the flour from the sides of the bowl until it all comes together.

4) Transfer the dough onto the tin, flatten it out and poke dimples with your fingers on the surface. Sprinkle with chopped rosemary, whole grapes and a good dose of sea salt. If needed, drizzle olive oil over the top.

5) Bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes or golden brown. Once out of the oven, drizzle with more olive oil, transfer to a wire rack to cool and serve warm.

 

The story behind this recipe
This recipe means a lot to me because, firstly, it’s a recipe by Rachel Allen, one of my favourite cooks. I spent my college years in Adelaide, Australia, and I used to dedicate my afternoons to catching her cooking show on television. I couldn’t even poach an egg at that time, but her shows inspired me to whip up all sorts of things from quiches to scones using locally-sourced ingredients. Her brilliant recipes aside, I’m also a fan of her simple, modest ways with cooking and her calm, composed manner on the show.

As I’m a food writer and critic attached to a lifestyle publication in Kuala Lumpur, my dream of meeting Rachel Allen was realised last year when she visited my city to promote a new cooking show. As a member of media, I attended a cooking demonstration by her and had the opportunity to speak to her personally for about 20 minutes. She taught me to make this deceptively simple focaccia, and I suggested a favourite topping combination of mine: Rosemary and grape. I was embarrassingly nervous around her but she guided me patiently through the steps. By the end of the session, we were chatting about food like longtime buddies and she gave me a squeeze on the hand before she left.

The focaccia, warm off the oven, is a fantastically humble piece of bread, but so grandly delicious at the same time. I was chuffed with my efforts and rushed home to make a batch for my parents the same night. Needless to say, they devoured the bread in little time.