Roasted Tomato and Eggplant Focaccia Bread

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Roasted Tomato and Eggplant Focaccia Bread

Ingredients

  1. 4 Roma tomatoes
  2. 1 tsp Ground thyme
  3. 2 T Rosemary
  4. 1/4 C Olive Oil
  5. 1/4 tsp Kosher salt
  6. 3/4 tsp Ground red pepper
  7. 1 Whole onion
  8. 7 Garlic cloves
  9. 1 Serrano pepper
  10. 48 fl oz Vegetable oil
  11. 1 Small eggplant
  12. 12 oz jar Artichokes
  13. 1/3 C + 1 T Corn starch
  14. 1 1/4 C Italian bread crumbs
  15. 1 C Shawnee Best All Purpose Flour
  16. 1/2 C Shawnee Best Yellow Cornmeal
  17. 1/4 tsp Salt
  18. 1/2 tsp Cayenne
  19. 2 1/2 tsp Garlic
  20. 1 tsp Oregano
  21. 1/2 tsp Onion powder
  22. 1/4 tsp White pepper
  23. 3T Ground flax seed
  24. 1/2 C Water
  25. 1 pint Half & Half creamer
  26. 2.75 oz Shawnee Mills Country Gravy mix
  27. 1/2 C Parmesan cheese
  28. 1/2 C Asiago cheese
  29. 1/2 C Romano cheese
  30. 2 6.5oz packs Shawnee Mills Pizza Crust Mix
  31. 8 Basil leaves
  32. 1 T Smoked paprika
  33. 1 T Fig balsamic glaze

This is everything you want in a focaccia bread: herby, crisp, spice, and a drizzle of sweet. It’s gourmet, but country because it includes Shawnee Mills Country Gravy Mix as a secret ingredient (oops, the secret’s out).

Directions

Directions:

  1. To start the process of removing the skin from the roma tomatoes, scoring an x on the bottom of each tomato. Do not peel yet.
  2. Next, prepare 4 quarts of water in a large pot and bring to a boil
  3. While the pot is heating, prepare an ice bath for the tomatoes by pouring 2 C of water and 1 C of ice in a large bowl
  4. When the water begins to boil, add the tomatoes to the pot for no more than 30 seconds, and then immediately transfer the tomatoes into the nearby ice bath. 
  5. Once tomatoes cool, peel the skin off of each tomato.
  6. Half the tomato lengthwise, remove the seeds and half horizontally into quarters 
  7. Set oven to 230º and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil 
  8. Thinly cut onion into ¼ inch slices and small serrano pepper into ⅛ inch slices  
  9. Combine 7 whole cloves of garlic, quartered tomatoes, onion and serrano with ¼ C of olive oil onto baking sheet 
  10. Finish off by seasoning the pan of vegetables with ground thyme, rosemary, sea salt, and ground red pepper
  11. Place baking sheet in oven for 1 hour 
  12. Wash and peel the skin off of a small eggplant 
  13. Slice eggplant into ⅓ inch slices and half 
  14. Sprinkle salt on both sides of the eggplant, then add a top layer of paper towels 
  15. Place a heavy pan (or other heavy object) on top of the top layer of paper towels to help bring out the moisture 
  16. Pour vegetable oil into fryer or large pot and set the temperature to 400°
  17. After 30 minutes remove the heavy pan, dust off the salt from the eggplant, and add eggplant to a large bowl
  18. Combine flaxseed and ½ C water into one bowl
  19. In a separate bowl, combine 1 C Shawnee Best All-Purpose Flour, ½ C Shawnee Best Yellow Cornmeal, and 1 C italian breadcrumbs
  20. Press slices of the eggplant into the flaxseed and then into the cornmeal and flour mixture
  21. Slowly drop eggplant into the fryer until golden brown (approx 2-3 minutes)
  22. Drain artichoke hearts from jar, rinse with a mesh strainer, and pat to dry. Transfer artichokes to a medium bowl. 
  23. In a separate bowl, combine ⅓ C of cornstarch and ¼ C italian breadcrumbs. 
  24. In this bowl, press artichokes until fully coated on each side
  25. Slowly drop the coated artichokes into fryer until golden brown for (approx 2 minutes)
  26. In a small pot, whisk the Half & Half with the Shawnee Mills Country Gravy Mix on low heat
  27. Add salt, cayenne, garlic, oregano, onion, and white pepper to the pot and stir 
  28. Once the sauce has simmered for 10 minutes remove from heat
  29. In a small bowl, mix dried thyme, ground, red pepper, garlic powder, shredded parmesan cheese, shredded parmesan asiago cheese, and shredded romano cheese
  30. Follow the Shawnee Mills Pizza Crust Mix instructions (be sure to use 13 oz |two 6.5 packs|) 
  31. Press dough into an 8 by 11 baking dish and layer with 1 ¼ C of the sauce from step 26
  32. Top with fried eggplant, fried artichokes, tomatoes, garlic, onion, and the 3 cheese blend from step 29
  33. Top off with basil leaves and 1 T smoked paprika 
  34. Place in the oven for 20 minutes on 400°
  35. Once removed from oven, drizzle with fig balsamic glaze