Movie Night Eats...

One of the things I like about cold winters is the chance to have lengthy movie nights at home with friends and watch a few movies back to back - think Lord of the Rings, Star Trek, The Matrix, Star Wars, The Hobbit etc etc.

For me I like to maximise the movie watching and vino time, and minimise the amount of time I have to spend slaving in the kitchen cooking something. So pizza ticks all the boxes, it can be prepped earlier in the day, customised for each persons likes/dislikes, and only needs a short time to cook. Excellent!

Plus there's not much in the way of dishes so good news on the cleaning up front too! 

This pizza dough can be rolled quite thin if that's the way you like your pizza or a bit thicker if you want a more substantial base! Either way it's still pretty damn good. Enjoy.

 

TOMATO & SALSA VERDE PIZZA
Adapted from a recipe by What Katie Ate

Pizza Base
1 2/3 c ‘00’ flour (250g)
small pinch caster sugar
small pinch salt
30 ml olive oil
1 1/4 tspns dried yeast
1/2 c water (125ml)

Salsa Verde
2 cloves garlic - chopped
3 tblspns salted capers - rinsed
3 tblspns baby gherkins (cornichons)
1 green chilli - seeds removed thinly sliced
large handful each of flat leaf parsley leaves, basil leaves, mint leaves
2 anchovies - drained
1/4 c pine nuts (40g)
2 tblspns red wine vinegar
1 tblspn Dijon mustard
1/2 c olive oil

Pizza Topping
6 tblspns Mozzarella - grated
6 tblspns Labna
4 tblspns semi dried tomatoes
2 tblspns chilli flakes
freshly ground black pepper
mint & basil leaves to garnish

To make pizza base - sift flour into a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the center and add the remaining pizza ingredients. Whisk together gently with a fork, gradually incorporating the flour. Using clean hands bring the mixture together to form a dough, then transfer to a well floured worktop. Knead firmly for 5 mins, stretching the dough as you go. Place the dough back in the bowl, cover with a clean damp tea towel and leave in a warm place to rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size.

Turn the dough out onto a floured worktop and cut in half, then roll each piece into a round about 28 cm in diameter. Or you can divide each half into three and roll into rounds of about 12 cm.  Place the pizza rounds on an oven tray covered with baking paper. Let rest for 15 mins. Place a pizza stone or heavy baking sheet in the oven and pre heat to 200 C (fan forced).

To make the Salsa Verde - place all ingredients in a food processor and whiz to a thick creamy paste. 

Place the pizza in the oven without toppings by sliding the baking paper onto the hot pizza stone/baking tray for 5 - 10 mins until just starting to bake. Remove rounds from oven (slide baking paper onto a cold baking tray). Spread the Salsa Verde over the pizza rounds, top with grated mozzarella and torn Labna, followed by semi dried tomatoes and chilli flakes. Slide back onto the pizza stone/baking tray and cook pizza in the oven for a further 10 mins until the pizza rounds are starting to colour and cheese is melting.

Remove the pizza from the oven and scatter with mint and basil leaves, followed by ground black pepper. Add a little olive oil to 1/4 c of the Salsa Verde and drizzle over the pizza.

Makes 2 medium or 6 small pizza.

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All Images © Deborah Aspray - Motif Lifestyle Images Ltd 2015