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Pizza with Scallops and Pesto




Source of Recipe


Source: Casual Cuisines of the World - Pizzeria


Recipe Introduction


At seaside pizzerias all over Italy, treasures from the sea find their way atop the familiar disk of dough. In this recipe, the intense heat of the oven sears the marinated sea scallops as they sit on a layer of emerald pesto.



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List of Ingredients




6 large, plump sea scallops, about 5 oz total weight, cut in half horizontally if very thick

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus olive oil for drizzling

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf (Italian) parsley

2 green onions, including the pale green tops, thinly sliced

1/2 recipe Neapolitan pizza dough, completed through the second rising

All-purpose flour for dusting

1 clove garlic

1 tablespoon purchased basil pesto (such as Buitoni®)



Recipe



In a small bowl, combine the scallops, 1 tablespoon olive oil, lemon juice, parsley, green onions, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir to mix well, cover and let stand for 20 minutes.


Meanwhile, place a pizza stone or unglazed terra-cotta tiles on the lowest rack of an oven. Preheat to 500 degrees F.


Place the ball of dough on a lightly floured pizza peel or rimless baking sheet. Sprinkle a little more flour on the top of the dough and, using your fingertips, press evenly into a round, flat disk about 1 1/2 inches thick and 5 inches in diameter. Lift the dough and gently stretch it with your fingers and then over the backs of your fists, using the weight of the dough to allow it to grow in size. While you are stretching the dough, gently rotate the disk. Continue stretching and rotating the dough until it is about 1/4 inch thick and 9 inches in diameter and has a rim about 1/2 inch thick. Try not to let the center of the disk become too thin in comparison to the edges. Dust the peel or baking sheet with more flour and gently lay the disk in the center.


Pass the garlic clove through a press held over the dough, then rub the garlic evenly over the surface. Using the back of a tablespoon, spread the pesto as evenly as possible over the dough. Using a slotted spoon, remove the scallops from their marinade and distribute them over the dough. Sprinkle a little of the marinade over the top.


Gently shake the peel or baking sheet back and forth to make sure the pizza has not stuck to it. If it has, gently lift off the stuck section and sprinkle a little more flour underneath. Using the peel or baking sheet like a large spatula, quickly slide the pizza onto the hot pizza stone or tiles.


Bake until the edges are golden and crisp, 8-9 minutes. Remove the pizza with a large metal spatula and slide it onto a dinner plate. Drizzle with olive oil, if desired, and serve at once.


Neapolitan Pizza Dough
Source: Casual Cuisines of the World - Pizzeria

Makes enough for two 9-inch pizza crusts

A Neapolitan pizza crust must be thin, but not cracker-thin as is traditional in Rome. If you prefer an extra-crisp super-thin crust, roll the dough into a round 11 inches (28 cm) in diameter rather than the 9 inches (23 cm) specified in the pizza recipes. Note that these directions make enough for 2 crusts. This pizza recipe calls for only half that amount. You can refrigerate the extra dough for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 1 month, or double the topping ingredients in the recipes and make 2 pizzas.

1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

1/4 cup lukewarm water (105 degrees)

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup cold water

1 2/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus flour for kneading

3/4 teaspoon salt




In a large mixing bowl, stir the yeast into the lukewarm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes. Stir in the olive oil and the cold water, and then whisk in 1/2 cup of the flour and the salt, stirring until smooth. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough comes together in a rough mass.


On a lightly floured work surface, knead the dough until smooth and velvety, 8-10 minutes. It will be soft. Cover loosely with a kitchen towel and let rest for 15 minutes.


Divide into 2 equal portions, knead briefly, then roll each portion into a smooth, tight round ball. To use the dough immediately, sprinkle a little flour on the work surface and set the balls on it. Cover them with a kitchen towel and let rise for 1 hour, then stretch and top the dough as directed in each recipe.


You may also store one or both balls of dough until ready to use. For short-term storage and for a slow rise resulting in more flavor, place the dough balls on a small baking pan lined with a kitchen towel, cover them with a second towel and refrigerate for up to 48 hours; remove from the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before forming the pizza. For longer storage, slip each flour-dusted ball into a plastic freezer bag, seal tightly and freeze for up to 1 month. Before use, place the frozen dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and let thaw overnight in the refrigerator or for about 2 hours at room temperature. The thawed dough should be puffy and soft to the touch.