Pizza with French Bread Crust

French Bread Crust for Pizza

(makes 1 large pizza - I always double the recipe)

From The San Juan Classics cookbook by Janice Veal. I know "French bread" sounds weird for pizza dough, but trust me, it's just right! We used the crust recipe and our own sauces/toppings. We may have made the below sauce too, but I can't remember and definitely didn't use it for the clam pizza or pissaladiere, although we did make a few extra pizzas with red sauce and other ingredients.

Pizza crust:

1 package active yeast (2 and 1/2 teaspoons)

1 cup warm water (about 110 degrees)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups flour

Sauce:

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 medium onion, chopped

1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce

1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1. To prepare crust: In large mixing bowl or food processor, dissolve yeast in warm water. Allow to proof for 2 minutes; stir in oil. Add sugar and salt to yeast mixture. Add flour, 1 cup at a time, until dough begins to ball and pull away from the side of the bowl. Knead until dough is smooth and elastic. Add additional flour if necessary.

2. Place dough in a greased bowl; turn over to grease top. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel. Let rise in warm (80 degree) place until dough doubles, about 1 hour.

3. Prepare sauce while dough is rising: In a saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Saute garlic and onion until onion is soft. Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, oregano, salt and pepper. Simmer over low heat about 30 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

4. Heat grill. After dough has risen, punch down and turn onto lightly floured board. Knead to squeeze out air bubbles. With a rolling pin, roll dough into a circle and place on pizza pan that has been greased and sprinkled with corn meal. It may be necessary to roll the dough again on the pan.

5. Take dough off pan with a peel and grill pizza dough on one side for a minute or so until the bottom is crisp and the pizza is stiffer. Flip over and quickly spread sauce on pizza dough and top with ingredients. (pre-cooked if they can't cook in a few minutes.) Top with cheese and bake until underside is nicely browned with black spots and everything is "done".

New Haven White Clam Pizza (a la Frank Pepe's)

From BudgetTravel.com

3 large garlic cloves

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 dozen just-shucked littleneck clams (we got ours at Whole Foods, and thankfully, Rocky shucked them)

1 teaspoon dried oregano

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

While the dough is resting, mince the garlic and let it steep in the olive oil. After the dough has rested for 10 to 12 minutes, brush on the oil and garlic, leaving the half-inch circumference untouched. Spread the clams around the pie with a dash of their own juice. Sprinkle on the oregano and cheese.

Pissaladiere Toping

Inspired by Bon Appétit | May 1999

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 1/2 pounds onions, thinly sliced (about 8 cups)

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 small bay leaf

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

1 tablespoon drained capers

20 Niçois olives

16 anchovy fillets

Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium-low heat. Add onions, garlic, bay leaf and thyme; stir to blend. Cover and cook until onions are very tender, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes. Uncover and sauté until most liquid evaporates and onions are golden, about 10 minutes longer. Stir in capers. Season mixture with salt and pepper. Cool completely; discard bay leaf.

Spread filling evenly over dough. Arrange olives and anchovies decoratively atop filling.

Bake until crust is crisp and golden.

Chocolate Fondue

Epicurious | December 1999

1 cups premium cocoa powder (Valrohna or Scharffen Berger), sifted
1 1/4 cups spring water
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup corn syrup
1/2 cup plus 5 tablespoons heavy cream
5 ounces 62% Scharffen Berger (premium semi-sweet chocolate), chopped
Pound cake and fruit (such as bananas, apples, strawberries, and plums), cut into bite sized pieces

Sift the cocoa into mixing bowl and set aside. Place the water, sugar, and corn syrup into a pot and bring to boil. Allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes until sugar solution has reduced by about 30%. Pour the cocoa powder into the solution and blend with a whisk until smooth. Return the chocolate mixture to the stove and continue cooking over medium heat. Add heavy cream, bring to boil and allow to simmer for five minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in chopped chocolate. Pour into fondue pot and keep warm.