Focaccia
/The only sound in the room was the soft chewing of Margherita Focaccia, punctuated by the occasional “mmmmm”. Only a few hours had passed since Chefs John Haas, Corey Gray, Shawn Cronin and Damian Lucero and I had finished another massive Italian lunch, but there was no way were passing up at least a taste of the focaccia pizza at L’Antico Mulino Pandolfo in Carrera, Italy.
Focaccia (fo katch ya) is a popular Italian flat bread that likely originated in ancient Rome. The name comes from the Latin word for hearth bread, panis focacius. While the ingredients are similar to pizza dough, focaccia is always cooked in a pan, instead of directly on the hearth, and the techniques for preparing the dough are definitely different from pizza.While the Etruscans are credited with inventing focaccia, it is closely associated with Liguria, the coastal area around Genoa. In most of Liguria, it’s not even referred to as focaccia, but as Pizza Genovese.
The most popular styles are made with rosemary and it’s used as a side dish or for sandwiches. Some parts of Italy add cheese to the dough, or layer it with cheese, some areas top it like a pizza. It’s normally thicker than a pizza crust. The northern regions of Italy close to France and Austria, make a sweet version of focaccia that is called focaccia dolce, that has honey and other sweet ingredients and is closer to cake than savory focaccia.
Focaccia is popular throughout Italy, but like much of regional Italian cooking, the recipe or even the name changes from region to region. In Bologna you should ask for crescentina and in Florence and Rome it is called schiacciata.
When the M’tucci’s chefs were in Carerra in Western Tuscany working with Master Baker, Francesco at his artisan bakery, they watched as he used a slightly different technique for his focaccia, primarily because he makes it for different uses.
“He does a few fundamentally different things that makes a light and airy focaccia with a crisp crust,” said Chef/Partner Shawn Cronin. “It was perfect for his focaccia pizza.”
“The great thing about bread, is that there are thousands of ways to make it, depending on your desired end result. We use golden raisins because they provide a little bit of sweetness and acidity. When we developed our recipe, we knew we were going to offer charcuterie which has salty cheeses, salty cured meats and copious amounts of olive oil. We figured the raisins would be a nice complement to these flavors,” he added.
After the 3-day fermentation, our dough starts wet, requiring Gabriel to slam it repeatedly on the table.
“Our recipe and technique make our focaccia chewier than Francesco’s, which means it can pair well with any cheese, oil or condiment. My favorite sandwich is our house capicolla and mozzarella, with a little onion mostarda and arugula,” he added. “We also don’t use commercial yeast and we rely on a three-day fermentation, which adds to the chewy texture.”
The focaccia made at M’tucci’s Italian Café & Market is made with golden raisins, rosemary and parmesan and is sold by the slice or the sheet pan. It’s perfect with a Charcuterie board or as a sandwich (two pieces or open-face). We also make a version with green chile for the roasted pork sandwich on the lunch menus at M’tucci’s Italian and M’tucci’s Moderno.
Fennel Crusted Pork Loin, Aged White Cheddar Cheese, Green Chile Aioli, Lettuce, Tomato, Pickled Red Onion, Green Chile Foccacia
NEWS FROM M’TUCCI’S
M’tucci’s @ Lava Rock Brewing Co.
HAPPY HOUR & NFL Football!
Lucky 7 Happy Hour features The Burger, a 10” Margherita or Pepperoni Green Chile Pizza, Charcuterie Boards and Wings for $7, Monday - Friday 3:00 - 6:30. Pair the food with a beer for $10.50 or $11, depending on the beer. Not eating (why not?), then $1 off all pints. The NFL is up and running and you can catch your favorite team on one of our large five screens.
HAPPY HOUR EVERY MONDAY UNTIL THE END OF THE FIRST HALF OF MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL!
Wednesday, September 18: Cheeseburger Day (stay tuned for specials)
M’tucci’s Italian
Weekend Specials
Cut of the Day - 24oz Hand Cut Porterhouse, Salt Water Potatoes, Grilled Asparagus, Lemon Balsamic Reduction
Pan Sear Fish - Swordfish, Sautéed Arugula, Grilled Artichoke, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Capers Lemon Beurre Blanc
Braised - Wild Boar, San Marzano Tomato Wild Mushroom Ragu tossed with House Rototelli
Ravioli - Fennel Roasted Duroc Pork & Goat Cheese Ravioli, Roasted Local Oyster Mushrooms, Sias Farms Heirloom Tomato, Artichoke White Wine Butter Sauce
M’tucci’s Moderno
Thanks to all our fans who voted our Servers the Best of Rio Rancho.
Weekend Specials
Shrimp Diablo Wild Caught Patagonia Pink Shrimp, simmered with carrots, celery, capers, caramelized onions, white wine and red chile flakes and marinera, tossed with fresh arugula and spaghettini pasta
Pairing - Planet Oregon, Pinot Noir - Oregon
Bing Cherry, ripe cranberry and a hint of cinnamon spice with a mineral driven finish.
Pan Seared Fresh Swordfish and switching to Yellow Tail Amberjack - Seared to perfection and served with garlic roasted artichoke, sauteéd fresh arugula and creamy garlic mashed potatoes, topped with a caper lemon butter sauce and smoked prosciutto powder
Pairing - Tomaresca Chardonnay, Italy - Aromas of peach and pineapple with notes of jasmine flowers, balanced acidity and fruity finish
24 oz Porterhouse is our Cut of the Day
Hand cut and grilled to order on an open flame, served with Garlic mashed potatoes, grilled asparagus and a traditional Italian salsa verde
Pairing - Lapostolle Canto, Meritage, Chile - Aromas of cranberry and spices, notes of black pepper, balanced tanins with chocolate and coffee finish
Tonight, 8:30 - Cali Shaw Live in the Bar
M’tucci’s Italian Café & Market
Voted Albuquerque’s Best Deli by the Albuquerque Journal’s Readers.
The Café & Market continues to offer amazing pastries in our display case every day. We carry the same great Italian imports, all of our artisan breads, and a wide variety of imported, domestic, and house made cheese and meat. There is an expanded selection of coffee and pastries. We’ll still have charcuterie boards to eat in or take out with wine and beer by the glass. Click here to see our new menu.
M’tucci’s Catering
MARCH OF DIMES FUNDRAISER
Chef/Partner Cory Gray and Pastry Chef Lauren Bell were part of our team at the 6th Annual March of Dimes Signature Chef Auction last night at Las Puertas. Guests sampled dishes created by 12 different local businesses. M’tucci’s donated the food for the event, in addition to providing bar service with Trey and Randall and Austin Leard on hand to pour Prosecco for the VIP tables. M’tucci’s will donate the food and our time for a private 5-course private dinner. The entire amount of our team’s winning bid of $1,700 will go to the March of Dimes.
Give us a call for your next event, wedding reception or party! Click here to see our catering menu. 505.350.0019 or catering@mtuccis.com
ONGOING NEWS
M’TUCCI’S AROUND TOWN
Our market items can be purchased at a couple of locations in Albuquerque. We deliver our fresh bread every Tuesday and Friday to Silver Street Market at 2nd and Silver. Choose from Sourdough, Fennel Rye, Wheat, Baguette, Ciabatta, and Raisin Rosemary Focaccia.
Drinking at Bosque in Nob Hill? You can order a M’tucci’s Charcuterie Board while there.
SERVICE INDUSTRY NIGHT & DISCOUNTS
Area service industry workers can get a Service Industry card from us by showing proof of employment. With the card you receive 10% off your check every day and 20% off on Sundays from 6:00 - 9:00. Dine in only.
ONLINE ORDERING
Our food is available for delivery with Door Dash or for pick up. Pick up something for the weekend or on your way home from work. The links to ordering are on the Home page.
MTUCCI’S YOUTUBE CHANNEL
Videos about making cocktails and pasta and getting to know the M’tucci’s culture. Click here
See you next Friday - Ciao!
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