Frutti di mare pizza (Food Friday)

Frutti di mare, Meeresfrüchte, Fruits of the sea...it is not surprising that Italy would have such a variety in pizza toppings (they have Marinara as seafood pasta so why not seafood pizza?). Italy is after all (almost) fully surrounded by water.Sardinia in particular is a small island in the Meditteranean, whose name is the origin of  a fish specie, sardines, where they are in abundance.

So here's a recipe from finestchef.com:

Ingredients:

For the pizza dough:
2 1/2 cups flour,
1 portion dry yeast,
3/4 cup warm water,
1 teaspoon each, salt and sugar.

For the frutti di mare topping:
1 1/2 cup grated mozzarella,
14 raw shrimp, sliced lengthwise to half,
4 ounces calamari rings,
20 steamed mussels, out of the shell,
(or use canned smoked mussels)
4 anchovy fillets,
1 cup pizza sauce or marinara sauce,
dried oregano and basil,
salt and pepper to taste
kani/surimi and olives (optional)

How to:

This recipe is for one large Frutti Di Mare pizza.

1. Mix together the yeast and warm water and let it bloom for 10 minutes.

2. Place the flour, salt and sugar in a mixing bowl or food processor, pour in the yeast and knead until you have smooth dough. Cover the dough with cling wrap and leave it in a warm place for 20-30 minutes to proof.

3. Sprinkle your kitchen counter with whole wheat flour and roll the dough. Grease a pizza pan with little oil and place the pizza dough on it.

4. Spread the pizza sauce and apply the toppings and the cheese. Cook the seafood pizza in a preheated oven at medium-high until the cheese is bubbly and the crust is cooked.

Cooking tip: Brush some garlic flavored oil over the pizza dough before you spread the pizza sauce and you will notice the difference by yourself. This tip applies for any pizza by the way.

I was surprised seeing the anchovy on my slice, I have never noticed them before! If in any case, these toppings won't tickle your fancy, you can always go for the classic favorite, Pizza Hawaii!

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