FESTIVE FLATBREADS
WITH STAR BRIE &
HERBED RICOTTA
PREP + COOK TIME 1 HOUR (+ STANDING)
SERVES 8
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups (500ml) lukewarm water
2 teaspoons dry yeast
5 cups (750g) “00” strong flour
(see Top Tips, opposite)
120g butter, melted
sea salt flakes
1kg wheel of brie or camembert
HERBED RICOTTA
300g fresh full−fat ricotta
30gparmesan, finely grated
2 tablespoons finely chopped chives
2 tablespoons finely chopped
curly parsley
2 teaspoons finely chopped mint
1 Combine the salt and the water in
a large mixing bowl and stir until salt
dissolves. Add the yeast; stir to
dissolve thoroughly. Add the flour, in
batches; mix until a firm dough
forms. Transfer to a clean, floured
bench; knead for 5 minutes.
2 Place dough in a lightly oiled
bowl, cover with plastic wrap and
leave to rise in a warm place for
1 hour or until it has doubled in size.
3 Preheat oven to 190°C/170°C
fan. Line 2 large oven trays with
baking paper.
4 Divide dough into 50g portions.
Roll half the balls out into ovals 2mm
thick; transfer to baking trays. Brush
with melted butter and emboss with
Christmas patterns. Sprinkle with the
salt flakes. Bake for 10 minutes
or until crisp and golden. Transfer
to wire racks to cool.LEMON & ALMOND
COUSCOUS
PREP + COOK TIME 15 MINUTES SERVES 8
2 cups (400g) instant couscous
20g butter, chopped
2 cups (500ml) boiling water
finely grated zest from 1 lemon
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup (20g) natural sliced or flaked
almonds, toasted
strips of lemon rind, extra, to garnish
1 Add the couscous to a medium
heatproof bowl, add butter. Pour
the boiling water over couscous and
cover with plastic wrap. Stand for
5 minutes or until water is absorbed.
2 Fluff couscous with a fork to
separate the grains.
3 Stir in zest, juice and oil. To serve,
transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle
with almonds and extra lemon rind.
TOP TIP
After separating the
grains of couscous
with a fork, cover with
plastic wrap then
microwave on Medium
(50%) for 4 minutes,
stirring twice during
cooking. By essentially
steaming the couscous,
it gives a soft and
fluffy texture.5 Once the first batch has baked,
repeat the process with the remaining
dough. Store the flatbreads in an
airtight container until they are
ready to use. They can be made up
to 1 week ahead.HERBED RICOTTA
Put all the ingredients into a bowl
and stir to combine. Season with
freshly ground black pepper. Cover
with plastic wrap and refrigerate
until ready to serve.TO SERVE
Oil large star and heart−shaped
cookie cutters or moulds and place
onto the serving platter. Press the
ricotta into the shapes, then carefully
remove. Cut the brie into a large star
shape, then arrange the flatbreads
to the side.LEMON
& ALMOND
COUSCOUS44 AWW FOOD • ISSUE TWENTY TWO