And, as always, enjoy! If you want more information about why the blog format has changed, and why we're now offering complete written recipes, please read all about that here.
And, as always, enjoy! If you want more information about why the blog format has changed, and why we're now offering complete written recipes, please read all about that here.
And, as always, enjoy! If you want more information about why the blog format has changed, and why we're now offering complete written recipes, please read all about that here.
And, as always, enjoy! If you want more information about why the blog format has changed, and why we're now offering complete written recipes, please read all about that here.
And, as always, enjoy! If you want more information about why the blog format has changed, and why we're now offering complete written recipes, please read all about that here.
And, as always, enjoy! If you want more information about why the blog format has changed, and why we're now offering complete written recipes, please read all about that here.
And, as always, enjoy! If you want more information about why the blog format has changed, and why we're now offering complete written recipes, please read all about that here.
And, as always, enjoy! If you want more information about why the blog format has changed, and why we're now offering complete written recipes, please read all about that here.
And, as always, enjoy! If you want more information about why the blog format has changed, and why we're now offering complete written recipes, please read all about that here.
And, as always, enjoy! If you want more information about why the blog format has changed, and why we're now offering complete written recipes, please read all about that here.
And, as always, enjoy! If you want more information about why the blog format has changed, and why we're now offering complete written recipes, please read all about that here.
And, as always, enjoy! If you want more information about why the blog format has changed, and why we're now offering complete written recipes, please read all about that here.
Scacce Ragusane is generally described as a type of Sicilian stuffed flatbread, but for me, that really doesn’t do it justice. It’s kind of, sort of, like lasagna wrapped in flatbread, but that’s not very accurate either. The “kinda sorta” thing also works for calzone, and stromboli, but again, just... to read the rest of Chef John's article about this Scacce Ragusane recipe,please follow this link to become a member.) Follow this link to get a complete, printable written recipe for Scacce Ragusane!
And, as always, enjoy! If you want more information about why the blog format has changed, and why we're now offering complete written recipes, please read all about that here.
This traditional Italian Easter recipe might not be the kind of pizza you’re used to, or even close, but don’t let that stop you from enjoying what is one of the most amazing combinations of meat and cheese ever to grace a pastry. As long as you can find a pan that works, this is fairly easy to make, and you can... to read the rest of Chef John's article about this Pizza Rustica recipe,please follow this link to become a member.) Follow this link to get a complete, printable written recipe for Pizza Rustica!
And, as always, enjoy! If you want more information about why the blog format has changed, and why we're now offering complete written recipes, please read all about that here.
And, as always, enjoy! If you want more information about why the blog format has changed, and why we're now offering complete written recipes, please read all about that here.
There’s no way to prove that corporate pizza chain
restaurants got the idea for stuffing their crusts with cheese from Khachapuri,
but that’s definitely the story I’m going with.
Nevertheless, this Georgian
cheese bread is such an amazing treat, it’s probably only a matter of time
before these things are being delivered all over the country, right along side
the usual pizza, garlic knots, and chicken wings.
While they do take a little bit of finesse to pull off at
home, the dough is very simple, and the pay off is well worth the effort. You
can obviously customize the cheese blend, but I strongly suggest that feta be part
of the equation. The stretchy mozzarella, and creamy Jack are nice, but they’re
not the most flavorful cheeses ever, which is why the sharper bite the feta
brings works so well.
Besides working with the wet, sticky dough, the only real
challenge here is not over cooking your eggs. In fact, I have it on good
authority that some folks don’t even place these back in the oven after the
eggs are introduced, but rather just stir the raw egg into the molten hot,
cheesy center, and “cook” it that way. That’s up to you, but the point is, we
want…we need, a runny yolk here. Anyway, since you can’t get this delivered
quite yet, I really do hope you give these gorgeous Khachapuri a try soon.
Enjoy!
Ingredients for 2 Khachapuri:
For the dough:
1/2 cup warm milk
1/3 cup warm water
1 package dry active yeast (2 teaspoons)
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus about 1/4 to 1/2 cup extra for
final kneading
1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (3/4 teaspoon fine salt)
For the cheese blend:
4 ounces mozzarella cheese
4 ounces Monterey Jack cheese
8 ounces feta cheese
For the rest:
1 tablespoon butter, cut in 4 slices
2 large eggs
sea salt for the top
cayenne, optional
- Bake at 475 F. for 15 minutes, fill with egg, and bake
another 3 or 4 minutes, until the egg is almost, but not quite set.
Topping a thick-crust pizza with breadcrumbs might sound
like a strange idea, but it really is the secret sauce behind this Sicilian Christmas
Pizza. Well, that and the actual secret sauce. Speaking of secrets, whether you
tell your friends and family that the sauce is made with onions and anchovies
is your business, but if you think that’ll turn them off, then maybe keep it to
yourself, at least until they realize it’s one of the most delicious things
they’ve ever had. Hey, all’s fair in love, war, and pizza.
Besides the crispy, cheesy, crumb topping, and super savory
sauce, the other secret to this amazing pizza is the extremely wet and sticky
dough. You could use a more standard pizza dough for this, but it won’t be the
same experience. One reason we can get away with putting breadcrumbs on the top
is the contrast between that texture, and the feather-light, spongy crust. Besides,
if you use enough oil on your fingers, it’s really not that hard to work with
anyway.
As usual, I’m not claiming any kind of authenticity here, so
I don’t feel bad that I didn’t use casciocavallo, which is the
traditional cheese for this pizza. I ended up using mozzarella, aged provolone,
and pecorino, which I think work very well on this, but having said that, use
whatever melty cheeses you like. The same goes for adding other toppings, but I
can’t imagine anything making this any more amazing that it already is. Either
way, whether it’s for Christmas, or another occasion, I really do hope you give
this a try soon. Enjoy!
Ingredients for a 18" X 13" Sheet Pan:
For the dough:
2 cups warm water (105 to 110 F.)
1 package dry active yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon sugar
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 1/3 cups all-purpose flour, or more as needed to achieve a
very wet, sticky dough
Note: For best results, sauce should be highly seasoned
For the crumb topping:
3/4 cup fine plain dry bread crumbs
1 cup finely grated pecorino cheese
1 tablespoon anchovy oil
2 tablespoons olive oil
For the pizza:
3 ounces grated mozzarella
3 ounces aged provolone cheese
- Bake at 400 F. for about 35 minutes (go as long as you can
without the crumbs on top burning, so that the crust cooks as much as possible) -- For best results, slide cooked pizza on to a cooling rack to prevent the bottom from getting soggy. --- If bottom gets soggy, pizza slices can be reheated in a dry pan, which will crisp up the crust nicely.
The next time you hear people arguing about whether Chicago
or New York has the best pizza, politely interrupt them, and make sure they
know about Detroit-style, since it really should be part of the discussion. And
by discussion, I mean heated argument.
Even though Detroit-style pizza is often referred to as
“deep dish,” I don’t think that accurately captures the essence of this crispy,
crusty, crazy-good slice. It has flavor elements of a slightly charred, blistered,
thin-crust pizza, with the texture of light, airy focaccia. Plus, if you use
the properly shaped pan, the edges of your crust get wonderfully crunchy, making
for a very unique experience.
If you can’t get the classic 14” X 10” Detroit pizza pan,
you can also use a 12” cast iron skillet, although you may need to not use
quite as much dough, since I forget how much surface area that has, but it
should be close. You can also use two 8” X 8” metal cake pans, but no matter
what you go with, be sure it’s at least a few inches deep, otherwise things
could get ugly.
Since I’m new to this style of pizza, if you’re from
Detroit, please let me know how close I got, and if there’s anything obvious
I’m missing. I know I needed more, and thicker, pepperoni, but other than that,
I was really happy with how this came out, and hope everyone gives it a try
soon. Enjoy!
Ingredients for one 14x10 Detroit-Style Pizza:
For the dough:
1 cup warm water
1 package dry active yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 1/2 cups bread flour
For the sauce (you’ll have a little extra):
one (24-oz) jar marinara sauce
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon red chili flakes
1 teaspoon garlic powder
The rest:
8 ounces sliced pepperoni
12 ounces brick cheese (I used 8 oz. of Monterey Jack and 4
oz. of cheddar)
The biggest problem with Chicago-style deep dish pizza,
especially for a New Yorker, is that it’s called “pizza.” I’m not sure what
else it could’ve, or should’ve been called, but when you grow eating
thin-crust, and all of a sudden someone hands you a plate of this, with a fork,
and calls it pizza, it’s quite the shock to the system.
Having said that, for the home cook at least, this deep dish
pizza is actually much easier to pull off than your classic thin-crust, which
really benefits from a 700 F. pizza oven. Another advantage is that we don’t
have to worry about too much, or too many toppings, which is usually the fatal
flaw of a poorly made NY-style pizza.
One key, besides the buttery, cornmeal-infused crust, is to
be sure your sauce is very thick, and flavorful. Some Chicago pizzerias simply
use seasoned, coarsely crushed tomatoes, but I prefer using a sauce, as long as
it’s reduced at least as much as you see here. Your favorite will work, but
just in case you don’t have one of those, here’s a link to our official pizza sauce recipe.
I went with a pretty basic sausage and cheese version here,
but you can, and probably should, add other things like peppers, mushrooms, and
onions. Same goes for switching up the cheeses, but I do like the combo of
fresh, and firm mozzarella. I don’t think it’s quite as good if you use all
one, or the other. Regardless, I really hope you give this “pizza” a try soon.
Enjoy!
For the dough (enough for a 12-inch cast iron skillet):
1 1/3 cups warm water
2 1/4 teaspoons instant or rapid-rise yeast
2 teaspoons white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons fine salt
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for the pan
1/2 cup cornmeal
3 3/4 cups flour, plus more as needed
For the fillings/toppings (in order of application):
4 ounces sliced provolone
8 ounces fresh mozzarella
1 pound spicy Italian sausage, removed from casing
4 ounces firm, low-moisture mozzarella
3 to 4 cups very thick pizza sauce (I made a double batch)
2 ounces (about 1 cup very finely grated)
Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
There are lots of recipes people claim taste better if made
by hand, but there’s no easier case to prove than pesto. That the name means,
“to crush,” should tell you something, and while this method does take
considerably more physical effort, when you taste this you’ll forget every
pestle-pounding minute.
The intensity of the flavors is beyond compare, and as if by
some kind of magic, this gorgeous spread develops an addictive spiciness. You
can taste each ingredient, and yet when smashed together, new and wonderful
flavors are released. If you’re in the market, I recommend the marble mortar
seen herein, as long as the inside has some texture to it. If it seems smooth
and glassy, keep looking.
Of course, you can play around with the ratios of the five ingredients,
and easily adjust this to your tastes, but no matter how they’re combined,
taking the time to crush them by hand is well worth the effort. I hope you give
this fresh basil pesto a try soon. Enjoy!
