Books for Cooks: ‘Fire & Slice’ turns your kitchen into a pizza palace
If you’re anything like us, you’ve been eyeing those slick home pizza ovens — some free-standing, some grill kits — that appear to be popping up everywhere these days. The thought of going from dough to blistered-crust pizza in 60 or 90 seconds is so appealing that we haven’t even considered the obvious questions: How many pizzas would we make if we had a specialty oven? Is the answer, “a million pizzas!” a good one?
If you need ideas for all those pies, read “Fire & Slice: Deliciously Simple Recipes for Your Home Pizza Oven,” which was published last year by Ryland Peters & Small.
In case you’re sick of the traditional red sauce, the cookbook includes recipes for pizza dough and focaccia, specialty toppings, and a variety of sauces. For example, roasted red bell pepper, sundried tomatoes, garlic, and basil produce a Fiery Red Pesto that elevates a simple Pancetta Pizza. A Spinach, Artichoke, and Goat Cheese Pizza is enhanced by a Neapolitan-style Pizzaiola Sauce with a concentrated, almost caramelized flavor. And even more. Much, much more.
These recipes call for a home pizza oven, but you can also bake pizzas in a conventional oven or on the grill. Preheat the oven or grill thoroughly, and adjust the temperature and cooking time accordingly.
One thing to keep in mind: The cookbooks from this London and New York-based publisher are aimed at home cooks on both sides of the Atlantic, so there’s some British slang, substitution suggestions for ingredients we don’t have, and a few recipes that made us wonder about cultural and linguistic differences. Is it possible to grate fresh mozzarella in London? Was it “not the fresh stuff in milky water; the other one we use for pizza”? Is tomato paste known as tomato puree in the United Kingdom?
Below are streamlined, adapted versions of the recipes they were gracious enough to share. (Secret: we chose “not the fresh stuff in milky water.”)
Pancetta Pizza
INGREDIENTS
Pizza dough, either homemade or purchased
Fiery Red Pesto (recipe follows)
Pancetta or streaky bacon, thinly sliced
Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil
freshly ground black pepper and salt
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat your pizza oven to 500°F. Dust your pizza peel liberally with flour. Roll or pull the pizza dough into an 8-inch-wide rectangle that is as long as your peel will allow. Place the pizza on the pizza peel.
Spread a few tablespoons of red pesto over the pizza base, leaving a 12-inch rim on all sides. Lay the pancetta strips across the pizza; they should be about the same width as the dough. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with oil.
Slide the pizza peel into your pizza oven quickly. Bake for 60 seconds, rotating halfway through to ensure even baking and avoid burning. The crust should be golden, and the pancetta should be crisp. Take the pan out of the oven and drizzle with olive oil. Cut into fingers and eat right away.
Spicy Red Pesto
Approximately 112 cup
INGREDIENTS
1 medium red bell pepper
2 tbsp fresh basil leaves
1 garlic bulb
a third of a cup toasted pine nuts
6 drained and chopped sun-dried tomatoes in oil
2 skinned ripe tomatoes
three tbsp tomato paste
12 tsp chili powder
12 cup freshly grated Parmesan
2/3 cup olive oil, plus more for preserving
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat a grill or broiler to high temperature.
Place the pepper on the grill rack and grill/broil until charred all over, turning occasionally. Remove the skin from the pepper and place it in a covered bowl until it is cool enough to handle. Cut in half and remove the core and seeds.
In a food processor, combine the pepper and the remaining ingredients, except the oil. Process until smooth, then slowly drizzle in the oil while the machine is running.
Spoon the pesto into a sterilized screw-top jar and cover with olive oil to keep the air out. Refrigerate for up to two weeks, or until needed.
— Adapted from Maxine Clark’s “Fire & Slice” (Ryland Peters & Small, $17) recipe.
INGREDIENTS
Pizza dough, either homemade or purchased
Pizzaiola Sauce (recipe follows)
grated mozzarella
Leaves of baby spinach
Artichoke hearts, quartered, drained, and halved
1 large ripe tomato, peeled and cut into large chunks
Soft white goat cheese in small balls or slices
Basil leaves, fresh
To taste, dried red pepper flakes
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat your pizza oven to 400°F. Flour your pizza peel generously. Roll or pull the pizza dough into a 12-inch round and place it on the pizza peel.
On the crust, spread the pizzaiola sauce. Top with half of the mozzarella. Arrange the spinach leaves evenly over the crust, followed by the artichokes and tomato. Add more mozzarella if desired. Spread goat cheese on top.
Slide the pizza into your pizza oven as quickly as possible. Bake for 90 seconds, rotating the pizza every 30 seconds to ensure even baking and avoid burning. Serve immediately with torn fresh basil and red pepper flakes.
Sauce for Pizzaiola
Approximately 134 cup
INGREDIENTS
12 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 chopped garlic cloves
1 tsp. dried oregano
2 cans chopped tomatoes, 14 oz. (drained and juice reserved)
freshly ground black pepper and salt
INSTRUCTIONS
Heat the oil almost to smoking temperature in a large, shallow pan. Standing back to avoid sputtering, add the garlic, oregano, and drained tomatoes, loosening the mixture with a little reserved canned tomato juice if the tomatoes start to stick. Cook for 5 to 8 minutes, or until the sauce is thick and glossy, over high heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
To remove the seeds and skin, pass the sauce through a food mill set over a bowl. If desired, return the smooth sauce to the pan to reduce further.
