Flatbread for the evening to the morning
The book: The Evening and the Morning by Ken Follett
Genre: Historical fiction
Published: 2020
The bake: Flatbread with olives, feta, onion marmalade and fresh rocket
What’s the story?
This book is the prequel to Follett’s epic The Pillars of the Earth. It’s the year 997 AD and England is still in the grip of the Dark Ages. Vikings torment English villages, and life is harsh and sometimes very short. There are three main characters in the book. Edgar, a very skilled craftsman (he has a keen eye and can build almost anything). Ragna, a Norman noblewoman with a strong personality, and Aldred, a likable English monk.
The action is focused on Dreng’s Ferry, a nondescript little hamlet with an interesting future (remember, this is a prequel!). The lives of these three characters intertwine and as love and ambition blooms, so do danger, hatred, and heartache. Will Edgar fulfill his promise of becoming a master craftsman? Will Ragna find happiness and true love? And will Aldred rise above temptation and the attacks of his enemies?
Why read it?
I’m a massive Ken Follett fan – his books transport you to worlds that totally captivate and entertain. The Pillars of the Earth was the very first of his books I read. Since then I’ve devoured most of his works. And, when I heard that a prequel to Pillars was to hit the shelves, I did a little happy dance. Pillars, published in 1989, is set in 12th century England. It’s about the building of a cathedral in the fictional town of Kingsbridge. Two sequels followed, World without End (2007) and A Column of Fire (2017). The Evening and the Morning takes the reader way back to the origins of Kingsbridge. And makes you want to reread all the books again!
What I really love about Follett’s characterization is that he creates villains you absolutely LOVE to hate. Their actions are so despicable that when they finally get their comeuppance, you throw your hands in the air and cheer! If you haven’t read any of the Kingsbridge-novels, start with Evening, and working your way through to Column.
I also suggest you put your life on hold because you won’t be able to put the books down! And they are meaty monsters – Evening is 817 pages long. But, it reads easily and the story flows effortlessly. If you like historical fiction filled with believable, interesting characters and a plot that sometimes shocks but always captivates, you need this book in your life.
Pair it with: Flatbread with olives, feta, onion marmalade and rocket
This is one of those cases where I was inspired to create a pairing by a dish mentioned in the novel. Edgar, Ragna, and the other characters dine on flatbread – although the toppings I chose most likely weren’t on the menu.
While reading the book, I just got a craving for a crispy flatbread, topped with creamy feta, sweetly-sour onion marmalade, salty olives, and fresh rocket. The recipe for the flatbread comes from one of my favorite recipe books, Platteland Seisoenkos, published by Human & Rousseau. The dough can be a bit dry, so add a splash more water if necessary. Don’t overbake it or it will be very hard. Eat this flatbread on the day you bake it.
Flatbread with feta, onion marmalade, olives, and rocket
4-6
servings30
minutes15
minutesIngredients
- For the flatbread:
500 ml cake flour
2,5 ml salt
2,5 ml good quality olive oil, plus extra to sprinkle over
125 ml water
- Toppings:
100 g feta
Kalamata or black olives, pips removed and sliced
onion marmalade (store bought, or make your own, I will share a recipe soon!)
a handful fresh rocket
salt and pepper, to taste
olive oil and balsamic vinegar, to serve
Directions
- To make the flatbread, place all the ingredients in your stand mixer and knead with the dough-attachment for 15 minutes. You can make it by hand – mix thoroughly and then knead until smooth and elastic. If the dough seems very dry or doesn’t want to come together, add a little bit more water. You don’t want it sticky, it must just come together into a manageable dough.
- Preheat the oven to 200 °C. Sprinkle flour over a clean kitchen counter. Roll out the dough until flat, about 5 mm thick. Sprinkle some more flour onto a baking tray. Place the dough onto the tray and sprinkle over some more olive oil. Bake 10 to 15 minutes until golden brown.
- Allow the bread to cool slightly and then get going with the toppings – crumble over the feta, place olives here and there, spoon over the onion marmalade and finish off with a scattering of fresh rocket. Splash on some more olive oil and balsamic vinegar or a balsamic reduction just before serving. Enjoy with a chilled white wine and eat outside if possible!
