Helen Olesss Prosciutto And Olive Braid Recipes

Steps:

• Wrap each cube of gorgonzola with a piece of prosciutto, and use to stuff the olives.
• Combine the panko, smoked paprika, cayenne and some salt and pepper in a bowl. Mix to blend.
• Prepare three plates for breading the olives: one with the flour, one with the beaten egg, and one with the panko mixture. Lightly coat each olive in flour, then dip in egg, and finally roll in breadcrumbs. Set the breaded olives on a sheet of parchment as you go.
• In a heavy pot or Dutch oven, heat 2 to 3 inches of oil to 350 degrees F over moderate heat. Working in batches, fry the olives until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. (Watch the olives closely; if cooked for too long, the cheese will begin to ooze out.) With a slotted spoon, transfer the fried olives to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain. Let cool slightly before serving. Garnish with the parsley and Parmesan.

Steps:

• Sprinkle baking sheet, approximately 9 1/2 by 11 inches, with cornmeal and set aside.
• Saute prosciutto in 1 teaspoon olive oil over medium heat for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in garlic, fennel seed and pepper. Pour contents into large mixing bowl.
• Add hot water, yeast and sugar.
• Stir in 1 cup all-purpose flour. Beat in 1/4 cup shortening. Add chopped olives.
• Add 1 more cup of all-purpose flour. Dough will be sticky at this point. Scrape out onto work surface.
• Gradually knead in 3 cups of bread flour until dough is smooth and elastic.
• Cover with inverted bowl; rest for 10 minutes.
• Roll dough into a 10-inch-by-15-inch rectangle. Cut three strips in rectangle, leaving about 1/2 inch at end uncut. Braid and pinch bottom end.
• Place on prepared baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and put in a warm place until light and doubled in volume - about one hour. When doubled, bake in preheated 400-degree oven until hollow sound is heard when loaf is tapped on bottom.

Steps:

• Place figs in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Let sit until soft and pliable, 5 to 10 minutes, then drain and coarsely chop.
• In a food processor, combine chopped figs, olives, anchovies, lemon juice, garlic and rosemary. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in olive oil, and process until mixture becomes a paste, 1 to 3 minutes, scraping down the sides once or twice. Taste and add more lemon juice and olive oil if you like.
• Spoon tapenade into a bowl or crock and serve alongside thinly sliced prosciutto, persimmon wedges and bread, crackers or breadsticks.

Steps:

• In a 6 to 8-quart pan, cook pasta in 3 quarts boiling water until al dente (7 to 9 minutes or according to package directions).
• Drain.
• Place pasta in a warm bowl.
• Meanwhile, combine prosciutto and oil in a wide skillet.
• Cook, stirring, over medium-high heat, until prosciutto is lightly browned (about 3 minutes).
• Add onions and cook, stirring, until limp (about 2 minutes).
• Add olives and tomatoes and cook, shaking pan often, until olives are hot (about 2 more minutes).
• Pour prosciutto mixture over noodles and toss well.
• Transfer to a warm serving bowl.
• Offer cheese to add to taste, if desired.

Steps:

• In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water.
• In a saucepan, heat milk, butter, salt and sugar to lukewarm. Add 4 cups of cheese gradually and stir until cheese and butter are melted. Pour into a large bowl and when lukewarm, add yeast mixture and 2 cups semolina flour.
• Work the mixture with a wire whisk until smooth then add caraway seeds and dry mustard. Mix. Batter will begin to thicken and take on a grainy look. Add 1/2 cup of cheese. Mix.
• Add 3 cups bread flour, gradually, stirring with a wooden spoon. Dough will be sticky.
• Turn out on a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, gradually adding remaining 2 cups of flour.
• If you want to make a braided loaf, shape the dough into 3 balls of equal size and roll out each ball into an 8-inch-by-12-inch rectangle with rolling pin. Starting two inches from the top, slice each rectangle into three equal-size strips. Loosely braid the strips on each rectangle. Pinch the braided ends and form a circle with each piece of dough by connecting it with the other end. This will yield three rings. (If you want a nonbraided ring, simply roll out the three equal-size dough balls into loaves in the shape of French bread, and make a ring.) Make slashes on top of the ring with a sharp knife.
• Place dough rings on baking sheets dusted with cornmeal and let them rise until doubled.
• Bake at 350 degrees for one hour, until a hollow sound is heard when the bottom is tapped.

Steps:

• Whisk together flour, yeast, salt, Parmesan, and rosemary in large bowl. Add water, olives, beer, and vinegar.
• Using rubber spatula, fold mixture, scraping up dry flour from bottom of bowl until shaggy ball forms. (The dough will be very wet.).
• Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 8 to 18 hours.
• Line inside of 10 inch skillet with a 12- by 18-inch sheet of parchment paper.
• Spray paper with nonstick cooking spray.
• Transfer dough to lightly floured work surface and knead 10 to 15 times. Shape dough into ball by pulling edges into middle.
• Transfer dough, seam-side down, to parchment-lined skillet and spray surface of dough with nonstick cooking spray.
• Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until dough has doubled in size and does not readily spring back when poked with finger, about 2 hours. (I've also retarded the rising by placing dough in the refrigerator for up to 12 hours.).
• About 30 minutes before baking, adjust oven rack to lowest position, place a large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven (with lid) on rack, and heat oven to 500 degrees.
• Lightly flour top of dough and, using razor blade or sharp knife, make one 6-inch-long, 1/2-inch-deep slit along top of dough.
• Carefully remove pot from oven and remove lid.
• Pick up dough by lifting parchment overhang and lower into pot (let any excess parchment hang over pot edge).
• Cover pot and place in oven.
• Reduce oven temperature to 425 degrees and bake covered for approximately 30 minutes.
• Remove lid and continue to bake until loaf is deep brown and instant-read thermometer inserted into center registers 210 degrees, 20 to 30 minutes longer.
• Carefully remove bread from pot; transfer to wire rack and cool to room temperature, about 2 hours.

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
• Combine the oil, garlic, and ham in a medium to large skillet over medium-low heat. Cook slowly, stirring occasionally, until the garlic becomes deep golden, nearly brown, all over, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Core and chop the plum tomatoes (or crush the canned tomatoes) and add them, along with salt and pepper, to the skillet. Stir and simmer while you salt the boiling water and cook the pasta.
• Drain the pasta when it is tender but firm, reserving a little of the cooking water and adding it to the sauce if it appears dry (quite likely if you used fresh tomatoes). Toss the pasta with the sauce and most of the basil, along with the cheese. Mince the remaining basil, garnish the pasta with it, and serve.