While our campuses are closed for COVID-19 stay-at-home orders, we host a voluntary virtual market basket challenge on Instagram each week for students and alumni. Last week's must-use ingredient was cherry, and Culinary Arts grad Rosie Achabahian incorporated stone fruits, mascarpone cheese, balsamic vinegar and prosciutto into a savory starter.
As a Culinary Arts grad, I have always preferred making (and eating) savory dishes over sweets or dessert. I’m the type of girl that will rarely order dessert. So when I saw that last week’s market basket challenge was screaming “dessert” (with ingredients like chocolate, cherries and gelatin, etc.), my thought process was, how can I make this into a savory dish?
Adding acid, like balsamic vinegar, to the cherries instantly gave me the opportunity to give this week’s (pastry) challenge a savory spin. I’ve been really into bread making lately, so that’s what gave me the idea to use the ingredients in the challenge to make a flatbread. With the addition of prosciutto (as my bonus ingredient), it became a wonderful balance between savory and sweet - a perfect companion to a glass of wine! Cheers!
Glazed Stone Fruit and Mascarpone Flatbread
Yields 1 flatbread, about 5 servings
Flatbread Dough
Ingredients
- 775 grams “00” flour
- 575 grams warm water
- 25 grams extra virgin olive oil, plus more for oiling the sheet pan and dough
- 20 grams kosher salt (less if using table salt)
- 5 grams honey
- 2.5 grams active dry yeast
- 2-3 cups AP flour, for dusting (not going to use all of it)
Directions
- In a large bowl, mix the water, yeast and honey together by hand, cover the bowl with a towel and let sit for 15 minutes.
- Take about 75% of the flour and add it in slowly while mixing with your other hand. Keep on mixing, for about 5 minutes or until all the flour has been incorporated really well and you're left with a smooth and rather loose/liquidy dough.
- Cover bowl with towel and let it rest for 1 hour. Sprinkle a good amount of flour onto your work surface and using a bowl scraper, pour out your dough onto the counter. Add in the salt, EVOO and remaining flour onto your dough. Knead to incorporate all your ingredients. Keep kneading or use a stand mixer with a dough hook until the dough can pass the “windowpane test.”
- Pre-shape your dough into a boule, oil the top of the dough, cover the dough with plastic wrap and towel, and let rest on counter for 1 hour.
- Making sure to keep the top part on the top (don’t flip over the dough), gently shape/stretch the dough into a long rectangular shape. With a bench scraper, divide it into 4 equal parts.
- Again, keeping the top part on top, shape each piece into a boule all while creating tension on top of the dough. Working with floured hands helps.
- Generously oil a baking sheet and place boules in it. Oil the top of each boule and cover very tightly with plastic wrap, ensuring no air can get in. Proof on countertop for 7 hours or 12-14 hours in refrigerator.
- In a medium bowl add the AP flour. Working with one boule at a time, toss and coat each side with flour.
- Place on counter and stretch out dough with hands to desired shape. If you want a crust around the edges, don’t place any pressure there, rather put more pressure in the middle.
Honey-Glazed Apricots
Ingredients
- 7-8 small to medium-sized apricots, halved and pitted
- 3 tablespoons neutral oil (preferably avocado)
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch pepper
Directions
- Preheat oven to 500 F. Toss all ingredients together in a bowl, place in an ovenproof pan and roast apricots for 10-15 minutes.
Balsamic Cherries
Ingredients
- 1 cup red cherries, pitted
- 1 cup balsamic vinegar
- 10 black peppercorns
- 5 coriander seeds
- 3 sprigs thyme
Directions
- Pour balsamic vinegar in saucepan and bring to boil. Meanwhile, put the thyme, coriander and peppercorns in a 16-ounce mason jar along with cherries.
- Add hot balsamic vinegar into the jar.
- Let cool and refrigerate for 1 day, preferably 2.
Infused Olive Oil
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 sprigs thyme
- 3 cloves garlic, slightly smashed to release flavor
- 6 black peppercorns
Directions
- Put all ingredients into a small saucepan, bring to boil and turn off heat. Let sit for about 30–45 minutes.
Assembly
Ingredients
- 4-5 slices prosciutto
- 4 ounces mascarpone cheese
- 10 balsamic cherries, sliced in half (or as many as desired)
- 8 glazed apricot halves (or as many as desired)
- Thyme leaves, for garnish
- Infused oil
- Fleur de sel
Directions
- Preheat oven to 500 F with pizza/baking stone on middle rack for 1 hour.
- Bake crust halfway until slightly golden brown. Pull out and brush crust with infused oil. Sprinkle with fleur de sell.
- Arrange prosciutto, mascarpone, cherries, apricots evenly on crust and place back into oven until cheese has melted.
- Pull out of oven and sprinkle with fleur de sel, garnish with thyme leaves and drizzle with infused oil. Slice and enjoy!
See more winning recipes from students and alumni, and explore ICE's diploma programs.
