Monaco GP 2021: Fougasse and Tapenade

So happy to see F1 back in Monaco! This race was so missed last year. The gorgeous location, the history, the glamour.

I love seeing the drivers get excited about driving at this classic circuit. One of my favorite quotes is from Nelson Piquet, he quips that driving at Monaco is like “riding a bicycle around your living room.” Though, he admits that “victory there was worth two wins anywhere else.” Even though the circuit can result in a bit of a procession, it is still a race that every driver dreams of winning, and continues to be an exciting race weekend!

For this year’s race, I made a recipe I’ve been eyeing for a few years — Fougasse. It is a beautifully shaped loaf, that turns out to be simple to make!
Serve with some homemade Tapenade and a fresh salad.

Homemade Tapenade is another flavor-packed but simple recipe. This Tapenade recipe works well with ingredients that are easy to find in a U.S. grocery store. If you live somewhere with access to high-quality olives, feel free to swap in good cured black olives, kalamata, or any other variety you like. This recipe amps up the flavors with capers, sundried tomatoes, and fresh herbs bringing lots of umami and brightness to the simpler flavors of black and green pitted olives you can get from any store shelf.

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Fresh Herb Fougasse

Makes 2 large loaves, Approximately 2 Hours

500g/1lb 2oz bread flour, plus extra for dusting
10g/¼oz fine salt
7g (1 packet) instant yeast
2 Tbsp olive oil, plus extra for greasing and drizzling
350ml/12fl oz warm water
2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary, plus extra to finish
2 tsp chopped fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried thyme)
2 tsp chopped fresh sage (or ½ tsp dried sage)
fine semolina, for dusting
sea salt flakes, to finish

1. Grease a large plastic container with a little olive oil. Line two large baking sheets with baking parchment or silicone mats.
2. Put the flour, salt and yeast into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. (Add the salt and yeast on opposite sides of the bowl.)
3. Measure out the 350ml/ 12 oz water, and bring to 30C/85-90F.
4. Add to the stand mixer the olive oil and pour in about three-quarters of the water.
5. Begin mixing on a low speed. As the dough starts to come together, slowly add the remaining water, then mix for another 8 minutes on a medium speed.
6. Add the rosemary, sage, and thyme and mix for a minute until the herbs are evenly distributed in the dough. When ready, the dough will be very elastic and you should be able to stretch it away from the bowl.
7. Tip the dough into the oiled container. Cover and leave to rise until at least doubled in size – about an hour. The dough should be bouncy and shiny.
8. Mix equal quantities of white flour and semolina together and use to heavily dust a work surface. Carefully tip out the dough onto the flour-covered surface. It will be quite loose and flowing, but don’t worry. Divide the dough in half.
9. Lift each piece of dough onto the prepared baking sheets and spread out into flat ovals. Using a pizza or pastry cutter make two cuts in a line down the middle of the ovals with a gap between them, stopping 2cm/1in from each end. Then make 8-12 diagonal cuts in the dough, 4-6 either side of the central cuts, forming a leaf design, then stretch the dough out slightly to emphasize the holes.
10. Place the baking sheets inside large plastic bags and leave to prove in a warm place for 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 220C/425F.
11. Bake for 15–20 minutes, or until the fougasse sounds hollow when tapped on the base and is lightly browned around the edges. Remove from the oven and while still hot, brush with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt.

Adapted from BBC Foods

Tapenade

1 (6 oz.) can green pitted olives, drained
1 (6 oz.) can black pitted olives, drained
3 Tbsp sun-dried tomatoes, drained
2 Tbsp capers, drained
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
3 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice (optional)

1. Add all the ingredients into a food processor and pulse until desired consistency, about 12 times, scraping sides halfway through.
2. Serve with crostini, crackers, or any bread, like the fougasse above.

Note: I always find recipes that suggest you mince or chop ingredients before putting them in a food processor, to be a bit silly… but in this case, you do want to mince the garlic and chop the herbs before putting in the processor, as you do not want to pulverize the olives and other ingredients, you simply want to chop them in the processor to your desired consistency. So, even though it sounds overkill – mince that garlic so it flavors the tapenade throughout.

Adapted from California Grown