Clam Pizza Food

CLAM PIZZA

Steps:

• Position a rack in the lower third of oven; place a pizza stone on rack. Preheat oven to 500 degrees at least 30 minutes before cooking.
• Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, and bay leaf; cook, stirring, until vegetables are soft and fragrant. Add wine and cover pot; bring liquid to a boil. Add clams, cover, and cook, until clams have opened, about 5 minutes. Remove clams from pot and let cool. Remove clams from shells, discarding shells; set aside.
• Strain liquid into a medium saucepan; discard solids. Cook liquid over medium-high heat until reduced and thickened. Add cream and continue cooking until reduced and thickened. Remove from heat and let sauce cool.
• Divide dough into six equal pieces; shape one piece into a 10-inch-round on a pizza peel or the back of a baking sheet. Spoon just enough of the clam sauce over pizza to cover. Top pizza with 9 clams and sprinkle with pepper flakes.
• Carefully transfer pizza to pizza stone and bake until pizza is crisp and nicely browned. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve immediately; repeat process with remaining dough and toppings.

SHRIMP AND CLAM PIZZA

Steps:

• Put a pizza stone or an inverted baking sheet on the middle oven rack and preheat to 450 degrees F. Press and stretch the pizza dough into a 10-by-14-inch rectangle on a floured piece of parchment; scatter the shallot on top. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and rub into the dough, gently pressing in the shallot; season with salt and pepper. Transfer the dough (on the parchment) onto the hot stone. Bake until the crust is golden, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, bring the wine, 1 tablespoon olive oil and the garlic to a simmer in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the clams, cover and cook until they open, about 6 minutes; transfer to a cutting board using a slotted spoon. (Discard any unopened clams.) Continue simmering the liquid until reduced by half, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the clams from their shells and chop.
• Pulse the parsley with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and the lemon zest in a mini food processor until chopped. Add the clam cooking liquid (with the garlic) and pulse until thickened.
• Spread the parsley sauce on the baked crust. Top with the clams and shrimp; lightly season with salt and pepper. Return to the oven until the shrimp is cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes. Top with more parsley.

CLAM PIZZA

Steps:

• Place a pizza stone in the oven and preheat to 450 degrees F.
• Portion the pizza dough into six golf ball-size pieces; wrap four of the pieces in plastic and refrigerate for later use. Dust a work surface with flour and roll out the remaining two pieces of dough into your desired shape.
• Top the pizzas with the Sauce, mozzarella, Parmesan and banana peppers; transfer to the pizza stone and bake for 15 minutes. Top with the reserved clams from the Sauce.
• Add the warm water, yeast and sugar to a small bowl; stir to combine. Let sit until the water bubbles and smells very yeasty, 15 minutes.
• Combine the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the center of the flour and add the olive oil and the yeast mixture. Using a fork, gradually stir most of the flour into the yeast mixture. Turn out the dough onto a flour-dusted work surface and knead until smooth.
• Lightly coat the mixing bowl with oil and return the dough to the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size, at least 1 hour.
• Steam the clams in a medium pot. Remove the clams from their shells and chop half; reserve the other half for topping the pizzas.
• Sweat the onions in a pan with olive oil for about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, garlic, crushed red pepper, a splash of water, the chopped clams and some salt. Bring to boil, turn down the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

WHITE CLAM PIZZA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• In a small bowl, combine the clams, the reserved clam juice, olive oil, oregano, crushed red pepper flakes, garlic, a pinch of salt and a pinch of pepper. Set aside.
• Spread the pizza dough into a large oval on a baking sheet. Brush with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with the mozzarella and half of the Pecorino Romano. Scatter over the clam mixture, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edge of the dough.
• Bake until the crust is golden and crisp, about 15 minutes.
• Transfer to a cutting board and sprinkle over the remaining Pecorino Romano, some fresh oregano leaves and more red pepper flakes. Slice and serve.

NEW HAVEN CLAM PIZZA

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Add sugar; let stand for 5 minutes. Add the flour, salt and oil; beat until smooth. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 15-20 minutes., Punch dough down. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of a greased 14-in. pizza pan; build up edges slightly. Prick dough several times with a fork., Bake at 425° for 6-8 minutes. Sprinkle remaining ingredients over crust in order listed. Bake for 13-15 minutes or until crust is golden and cheese is melted. Cut into wedges.

WHITE CLAM PIZZA

Steps:

• Position a rack in the bottom of the oven and place an inverted baking sheet on top.
• preheat oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit.
• IN a small bowl, combine the olive oil, garlic and 2 pinches salt.
• Lightly flour a baking sheet, place one piece of pizza dough on top and stretch to fit the dimensions of the baking sheet.
• Drizzle 2 1/2 tablespoons garlic oil on top.
• Sprinkle half of the clams on top and season with 2 teaspoons Parmesan, 1 1/2 teaspoons thyme and salt and pepper.
• Set the baking sheet on the hot baking sheet in the oven.
• Bake until crisp and golden, about 20 minutes.
• Repeat with the remaining ingredients to make another pizza.

CLAMS, CHILIES, AND PARSLEY PIZZA

Steps:

• Remove the pizza dough from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before baking.
• Place 1/4 cup oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, and saute until it is limp, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, bay leaf and a pinch of chili flakes. Reduce heat to low and cook 7 minutes longer. Add wine, and bring to a simmer. Add clams, cover pot, and cook till they start to open, about 10 minutes. As they open, use tongs to transfer them to a large bowl. When all clams are cooked and cooled, pluck out meat, and discard shells.
• Simmer liquid left in pot until it reduces to a thick, syrupy glaze, about 10 minutes. Add cream, and continue simmering until mixture is reduced by a quarter, 10 to 15 minutes longer. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, and set aside.
• Take a pizza peel and dust the surface with flour. Form the dough into a 12-inch round.
• Working quickly, paint the entire surface of the pizza with one-quarter of the clam glaze. Scatter a dozen or so clams over the pizza and sprinkle with chili flakes. Drizzle with oil.
• Place peel into brick oven. Slide off the peel. Watch the pizza and continue to rotate it in the oven until all sides of the crust bubble up, allowing for some black bubbles, but not too many. (Approximately 2 minutes.)
• Take the pizza out of the oven and sprinkle with chili flakes and scatter with parsley.
• Repeat with the remaining dough balls and toppings.
• If using fresh yeast, mix 1 1/2 cups cold water and yeast together in an electric mixer until yeast is dissolved. If using dry active yeast, mix water and yeast and let sit until the yeast is foamy, about 5 minutes. Beat in flour and salt and mix with dough hook until the dough comes together to form a smooth, slightly elastic dough, 2 to 3 minutes. Do not knead. Place the dough into oil-coated bowl, cover loosely with plastic and store in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours and up to 3 days to proof. At Franny's we let it proof for 48 hours, at which point we feel the dough has the optimal texture and flavor.
• When you are ready to make the pizza, divide the dough into 4 equal pieces and shape into balls. Return the dough to the refrigerator to rest for 4 to 6 hours, or until needed, up to 12 hours. Remove the dough and let it sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before using (take the dough out of the fridge while you preheat the pizza stone). You can let it sit out longer as long as it doesn't get too soft and floppy, which will make it difficult to shape. Soft dough is also more likely to stick to the cookie sheet or pizza peel, making it harder to slide onto the stone. If the dough gets too soft, stick it back in the fridge for 10 minutes or so to give it a chance to firm up. Shape and top as directed for in the pizza recipe.

NEW HAVEN-STYLE CLAM PIZZA

Steps:

• 1. In a small bowl dissolve sugar in 1/4 cup water. Sprinkle yeast over water and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
• 2. In a large bowl stir together 2 cups flour, remaining 3/4 cup water, salt, and yeast mixture.
• 3. Transfer dough to a floured surface and clean and oil large bowl.
• 4. Knead dough vigorously, incorporating as much of remaining 3/4 cup flour as necessary to create a silky dough, a full 15 minutes.
• 5. Transfer dough to prepared bowl, turning to coat slightly with oil, and cover bowl with 2 tight layers of plastic wrap. Let dough rise in a warm place 2 to 3 hours, or until doubled in bulk.
• 6. While dough is rising, in a small bowl combine garlic and oil and chill, covered.
• 7. Punch down dough and flatten on a lightly floured surface. Pounding with heel of hand and lifting, stretch dough carefully and work into a round about 15 inches in diameter (or into 2 smaller rounds).
• 8. Put pizza stone on bottom shelf of oven and preheat oven to 500°F.
• 9. Sprinkle baker's peel with cornmeal and slide dough onto it. Cover dough with a kitchen towel and let it rest, covered with the kitchen towel, about 15 minutes. While dough is resting, let garlic oil come to room temperature.
• 10. Brush dough evenly with garlic oil, leaving a 1/2-inch border untouched. Arrange clams with a dash of reserved liquor over garlic oil and sprinkle with oregano and Romano.
• 11. Shake and slide pizza off baker's peel onto pizza stone in oven. Reduce oven temperature to 450°F. and bake pizza 15 minutes, or until crust is medium brown.
• 12. Serve pizza immediately with plenty of napkins. Serves 2 as an entrée or 4 as an hors d'oeuvre.

WHITE CLAM PIZZA

Steps:

• Place a baking stone on the middle shelf of the oven and preheat on the highest setting for at least 1 hour.
• While oven is preheating, in a bowl, combine the Herb Oil and lemon juice; stir in the clam meat to coat; cover and marinated in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
• Shape the dough ball to a diameter of about 12 inches; the dough should be very thin, about 1/8 inch thick, nearly translucent and slightly thicker toward the edge.
• Transfer the dough to a pizza peel that has been dusted with flour.
• In another bowl, stir the 2 cheeses together; distribute the cheeses over the dough; spread the clam and oil mixture evenly over the cheese.
• Sprinkle the surface evenly with salt and pepper.
• Carefully slide pizza from the peel onto the baking stone; bake about 10-12 minutes.
• When done, the crust should be crisp and slightly charred on the edge and the cheese should be fully melted and just beginning to caramelize to a rich gold.
• The underside of the crust should be brown and crisp, not white and soft.
• Remove the finished pizza from the oven and immediately sprinkle the parsley over the top.
• Let pizza cool for about 3 minutes before slicing and serving.
• *You can make other seafood pizzas in the same way-use raw squid, shirmp, bay scallops (whole) or sea scallops (cut in half), or any combination.

RED CLAM PIZZA

Steps:

• Spread pizza sauce over the surface of the crust, leaving a 1/4 inch border.
• Sprinkle with garlic slices and capers.
• Spoon clams evenly over top.
• Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper.
• Bake according to the directions for your chosen crust.
• Pass cheese at table for those who prefer it.

CLAM-CHOWDER PIZZA

Steps:

• Place a pizza stone or tiles on the middle rack of your oven, and turn heat to its highest setting. Let it heat for at least an hour.
• Put the clams in a large, heavy Dutch oven, add about 2 cups of water and 3/4 cup of the wine, then set over medium-high heat. Cover, and cook until clams have opened, approximately 10 to 15 minutes. (Clams that fail to open after 15 to 20 minutes should be discarded.) Strain clam broth through a sieve lined with cheesecloth or doubled-up paper towels, and set aside. Remove clams from shells, chop roughly and set aside.
• Rinse out the pot, and return it to the stove. Add butter, and turn heat to medium low. Add bacon, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the fat has rendered and the bacon has started to brown, approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove bacon from fat, and set aside.
• Add the leeks to the fat, and cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes, then add the garlic and half of the parsley. Continue cooking and stirring until the leeks are soft but not brown, about 5 minutes more.
• Stir in the remaining wine and approximately 1 cup of the reserved clam stock (save the rest for another use), and continue cooking until the liquids have reduced almost to syrup.
• Add cream and black pepper. Let the mixture come to a bare simmer, then allow to reduce and thicken, then add reserved clams and remove from heat. (You can do all this the day before you make the pizza, then refrigerate until ready to use.)
• Make the pizza. Lightly flour a work surface, and stretch or roll the dough into a 12-inch round. Place on a lightly floured pizza peel or rimless baking sheet. Using a pastry brush or a spoon, lightly paint the surface of the dough with some of the cream from the clams, leaving a half-inch border all around. Then top the pizza with the chopped clams, bacon and leeks, and the cheese. (If there is any remaining liquid, you can lightly - lightly! - drizzle the pie with it.)
• Shake the pizza peel slightly to make sure the dough is not sticking. (Gently lift any sections that are sticking, and sprinkle the peel with flour.) Carefully slide the pizza directly onto the baking stone in one quick, forward-and-back motion. Cook until the crust has browned on the bottom and the top is bubbling and browning in spots, about 7 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining parsley, the lemon zest and red-pepper flakes to taste, then serve.