Spot UV michael schwartz better pizza at home G E NUI N E P IZZ A J AMES BEARD A W ARD – WINNING CHEF F ORE W ORD B Y W OLF GANG P UCK G E NU IN E P IZZ A sc hwa rt z G E NUI N E P IZZ A PART I DOUGH Pizza Dough 31 Rye Pizza Dough 37 Gluten-Free Pizza Dough 40 SAUCES Tomato Sauce 44 Marinara 45 Pesto 47 Béchamel 48 Porcini Crema 49 Rosemary Crema 51 Pecorino Crema 52 My Favorite Mayonnaise 53 ACCENTS Grilled Red Onion 56 Calabrian Chile Sauce 57 Caramelized Onions 58 Braised Fennel 60 Preserved Lemons 63 PART II Margherita Pizza 72 Classic Cheese Pizza 75 Caponata Pizza 76 Short Rib Pizza with Caramelized Onions, Gruyère, and Arugula 79 Mushroom Pizza 80 Bacon and Potato Pizza 83 Meatball Pizza 85 Shrimp Pizza with Roasted Lemon, Scallion, and Cilantro 89 Pesto Pizza with Fresh Tomato and Homemade Ricotta 93 Kale Pizza with Caramelized Onion and Fontina 94 Roasted Pumpkin Pizza with Brussels Sprouts and Rosemary Crema 97 Puttanesca Pizza with Stracciatella 101 Pimento Cheese and Okra Pizza 103 Slow-Roasted Pork Pizza with Fig and Grilled Red Onion 107 BLT Pizza 108 Stracciatella Pizza with Spicy Roasted Tomato Sauce and Scallion 111 Broccolini Pizza with Calabrian Chile Sauce 113 Fennel Pizza with Caramelized Onion and Green Olives 114 Peach and Gorgonzola Pizza 117 Fig Pizza with Fontina, Taleggio, and Crushed Red Pepper 118 Clam Pizza with Preserved Lemon, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and Mint 121 Prosciutto Cotto Pizza 122 Merguez Pizza 125 Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Pizza 126 Soppressata Pizza with Mozzarella, Calabrian Chile Sauce, and Scallion 129 Zucchini Pizza 131 Pastrami on Rye Pizza 133 Bitter Greens Pizza 134 RE CIP E LIS TPART III STARTERS AND SNACKS Meatballs 138 Oven-Roasted Chicken Wings with Agrodolce Glaze and Rosemary Crema 141 Polenta Fries with Spicy Ketchup 145 Caponata with Focaccia 147 Homemade Ricotta 150 Marinated Olives 153 SOUPS Tomato Bread Soup 154 Short Rib and Farro Soup 157 White Bean and Chorizo Soup 158 Pesto Chicken Soup 161 Spicy Kale Soup 162 SALADS Warm Brussels Sprouts with Burrata, Pears, Pistachios, and Creamy Parmesan Dressing 165 Escarole Salad with Lemon, Anchovy, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and Breadcrumbs 167 Chopped Salad 171 Orange and Radish Salad with Bitter Greens, Shaved Fennel, Green Olives, and Parmigiano-Reggiano 172 Tomatoes and Burrata 175 Celery Root with Pecorino-Romano, Arugula, and Almonds 176 Kale Salad with Roasted Beets, Onion, Goat Cheese, Sunflower Seed Dressing, and Dill 178 MAIN COURSES Roasted Chicken with Salsa Verde and Fennel Slaw 181 Pan-Roasted Skirt Steak with Fingerling Potatoes, Rosemary, and Peperonata 185 Roasted Eggplant with Stewed Tomatoes, Farro Gremolata, and Feta 187 Mahi-Mahi with Tomato, Kale, Fennel, and Lemon Aioli 191 Slow-Roasted Pork Shoulder with Soft Polenta and Shaved Celery Salad 193 Slow-Roasted Short Ribs with Smashed Cannellini Beans 197 Merguez Meatballs with Crunchy Salad and Herbed Yogurt 199 DESSERTS Buttermilk Panna Cotta with Compote 202 Zeppole with Honey-Whipped Ricotta 206 Anise-Almond Biscotti 209 Dark Chocolate Cremoso with Candied Orange Peel, Soft Cream, and Pine Nuts 210 Chocolate Chunk Cookies 213 DRINKS Strawberry-Basil Soda 216 Vanilla-Allspice Soda 219 Watermelon Spritz 220 Torino Spritz 222 Lemon-Orange Sangria 223 Sherry Temple 225 Italian Michelada 22630 GENUINE P IZZA 30 GENUINE P IZZA31 THE B A SICS P IZZA DOUGH MAKES ENOUGH FOR 4 (12-INCH/30.5-CM) PIZZAS We’ve spent quite a few years perfecting our pizza dough, and this is the version we finally felt achieved everything we wanted from our crust. This is our interpretation of a New York–style dough, which differs from its Neapolitan cousin by the addition of sugar and oil. In our version, beer imparts a delicate malted note, and the honey lends a touch of sweetness while aiding the browning process. Whole-wheat flour provides the dough with some heft as well as an earthy quality, and a little olive oil softens the glutens, making the bite more tender. The resulting crust is chewy but light, too, making for a pizza-eating experience that doesn’t weigh you down. ½ cup (120 ml) beer, such as lager or pilsner, at room temperature (see Notes) 2 tablespoons mild honey 1 (¼-ounce/7-g) packet active dry yeast 3 cups plus 6 tablespoons (455 g) bread flour, plus more for stretching the dough 1⁄₃ cup (40 g) whole-wheat flour 1 tablespoon kosher salt 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for oiling the bowl In a small bowl, combine the beer and honey with 1 cup (240 ml) room temperature water. Sprinkle the yeast over the liquid and stir gently to dissolve. Let the mixture stand until it starts to foam, 5 to 10 minutes. In a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the bread and whole- wheat flours and the salt. With the mixer running on low speed, add the oil, then the yeast mixture, increase the mixer speed to medium, and mix until the dough comes cleanly away from the sides of the bowl, 3 to 5 minutes. Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and knead by hand for 1 to 2 minutes. The dough should be pretty sticky; it should stick to your hands and the counter and leave behind a sticky trail. (If you think the dough is a bit too wet, it is probably just perfect. See Notes.) Gather the dough into a ball and place it in a lightly oiled bowl; turn it over to coat it with the oil. Cover the dough with a clean, damp towel and let it rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 30 minutes. Gently punch down the dough, cover it with plastic wrap, and let it rise again in the refrigerator overnight or for up to 48 hours. 44 GENUINE P IZZA T OMA T O S A UCE MAKES ABOUT 3¼ CUPS (780 ML) It should go without saying, but a good-tasting tomato will produce a superior sauce and, in turn, a superior pizza. As you see below, our tomato sauce couldn’t be simpler. So, because it has just four ingredients, it’s really all about the tomato. To find the perfect canned tomatoes, we did a blind taste test, trying about fifteen different varieties, from the most expensive San Marzanos to the cheapest supermarket brands. We were looking for balance: not super acidic, but also not flat. The perfect tomato for us wound up being from a company that sells tomatoes in giant cans to restaurants but not to home cooks. For the home kitchen, we think Muir Glen makes a delicious tomato and it is widely available, but follow your palate to find the one you like best. I recommend buying a few brands and tasting them side by side to find the one you really like. And when you find the perfect tomato, just mill it and add a little olive oil, salt, and pepper. 1 (28-ounce/793-g) can whole canned tomatoes 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil Using an immersion blender in a nonreactive container, or using a standing blender, puree the tomatoes for about 1 minute or until smooth. If using a standing blender, transfer the tomatoes to a nonreactive container. Add the salt, pepper, and oil, and whisk—do not blend—to combine. You want to whisk, because you are trying to just incorporate the oil into the sauce, whereas blending will aerate the sauce and also lighten its color, which we don’t want to do. Set aside until needed, or if not using right away, cover and refrigerate for up to 1 week or freeze up to 3 months.45 THE B A SICS MARINAR A MAKES ABOUT 2 QUARTS (2 L) Everyone needs a great, straightforward marinara recipe in his or her repertoire. Ours is flavored with some onions, garlic, salt, pepper, and basil, and given time to thicken. An important note to keep in mind when making this sauce (and other tomato sauces): Always simmer them uncovered to allow for moisture evaporation. Extra-virgin olive oil 2 medium yellow onions, diced 2 (28-ounce/793-g) cans whole tomatoes 1 large garlic clove, chopped 2 teaspoons kosher salt, or to taste ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed ¼ cup (10 g) basil leaves, roughly chopped In a large heavy-bottomed ovenproof pot (such as a Dutch oven), add enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan, and warm the oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Do not let the onions put on color. Crush the tomatoes with your hands, and reserve the juices in the can. Add the garlic and tomatoes, pressing down on any large tomato chunks using a wooden spoon. Stir to combine, and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook, uncovered, until the sauce has thickened, 40 to 50 minutes. Season with the salt and pepper, and stir in the basil. Cook until the basil has sufficiently wilted, about 15 minutes. Set aside in the pot until needed, or if not using right away, transfer to a container with a lid and refrigerate for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months.88 GENUINE P IZZA89 THE P IZZA RE CIP ES SHRIMP P IZZA WITH R O A S TED LEMON , S C ALLION , AND CIL ANTR O MAKES 1 (12-INCH/30.5-CM) PIZZA Putting seafood on pizza is always a gamble, and this pizza, when we put it on the menu, was a veritable dark horse. When we were toying with the idea of putting shrimp on pizza, we loved the flavors, but we weren’t sure people were going to order a pizza with rock shrimp, scallions, and cilantro. (Who puts cilantro on a pizza?) I also wanted the tart, bright lemon note, and thought if I sliced the lemons thinly, roasted them, and then cooked them on pizza that they would be tasty—and I was right. Today this is one of our more popular pizzas, as it showcases rock shrimp, which is a favorite local Floridian ingredient. Because shrimp turn rubbery when overcooked, this is one of the pizzas you want to err on the side of undercooking ever so slightly. As for any extra roasted lemons, you can add them to salads, while roasting a chicken (see page 181) or fish, or any recipe that calls for regular lemon. ½ cup (85 g) shelled and deveined rock shrimp or other small shrimp 1 (8-ounce/225-g) ball Pizza Dough (page 31), at room temperature Flour, for rolling ¼ cup (25 g) coarsely grated Manchego cheese ¼ cup (25 g) coarsely grated Fontina cheese 1 tablespoon finely chopped Roasted Lemon (recipe follows) 2 tablespoons scallions, thinly sliced on the bias 1 tablespoon whole cilantro leaves Kosher salt, for garnishing At least 30 minutes before baking, place a pizza stone or baking sheet on a baking rack in the top third of the oven, and preheat the oven to 500°F (260°C). Meanwhile, place the rock shrimp between two pieces of paper towels and blot dry. Let sit while you prepare the pizza dough to ensure that the excess moisture gets absorbed. After you have made your dough according to the instructions on pages 31–35, allow the dough to come to room temperature for about 1 hour before making your pizza. Dip the dough into a little flour, shaking off the excess, and set on a clean, Next >