First you start by choosing your grapes. I selected Coronation grapes (speaking of Corrie, have you been watching? CBC is now airing one hour a night so we can catch up with the episodes in the UK. That's a lot of street talk, let me tell you. Thank goodness for fast forward buttons on the PVR). While not seedless, they contain small, edible seeds that don't require removing. They're also not the super sweet variety that gets turned into kiddie juice.
But, they do require de-stemming, which is a crazy making activity. Notice the pile of stems to the right of my scale? It probably took me 15 minutes to get my 400g of fruit stem free. Loco!
And don't those grapes look much happier nestled into all that warm dough? If only they knew their future involved a hot oven.
The recipe doesn't call for rosemary, but I thought it would make a nice addition. I was after a more savoury product than a sweet treat. Plus, I happen to have lots of rosemary growing in my backyard, so it was a good opportunity to use some up.
Ta-da! Okay, so this is a bit dark, I admit, but it's still pretty, non? Definitely more unique than anything you could buy at the store, and much, much better. The grapes burst and run during cooking, creating almost jam that ribbons through the bread. And the crust was crisp, and topped with a trace of crunchy sugar and some sea salt, while the inside was moist and chewy. Dare I say it was grape combination?
Black grape focaccia
From Tender Vol. 2, by Nigel Slater
This is excellent with a fresh, mild cheese. Serves 8.
450g strong white bread flour
1 sachet of easy bake yeast (7g, 2 tsp)
1 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp caster sugar
350ml warm water
For the topping:
400g sweet, black grapes
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp caster sugar
a little icing sugar
Put the flour into a large bowl, add the yeast, the sea salt (if you are using coarse salt, crush it finely first), then the oil, sugar and warm water. Mix with a wooden spoon then turn the dough out on to a generously floured board. Knead the dough lightly for 5 minutes or so. You need not be too enthusiastic. A gentle pummelling will suffice.
Once the dough feels elastic and "alive" put it into a floured bowl, cover with a clean cloth or clingfilm, then put it somewhere warm to rise. It will take approximately an hour to double in size. Once it has, then punch it down again, knocking some of the air out. Tip it into a suitable baking tin or sheet, about 28cm in diameter. Gently knead half of the grapes into the dough, scattering the remaining ones on top. Set the oven at 220C/gas mark 7.
Cover the dough once more and return it to a warm place to rise. Once it has expanded to almost twice its size, drizzle over the olive oil, scatter with the caster sugar and bake for 35-40 minutes till well-risen, golden brown and crisp on top. It should feel springy when pressed. Leave to cool slightly before dusting with icing sugar. Cut into thick wedges and eat while warm. It will not keep for more than a few hours. (*actually I found it kept for two days, well wrapped)
