RIMINI
Mmm. Fried dough. On a trip to Rimini, a resort town on Italy's Adriatic coast, I had a memorable fried pizza topped with cheese and ham. To re-create it, I came up with this shallow-fry method in which you fry the dough, then flip it, top it with mozzarella, and cover it with a lid to melt the cheese. In honor of Rimini, I've topped this one with the region's famous _squacquerone_ cheese, which is as deliciously soft and runny as it is difficult to pronounce. If you can't find it, you can use _crescenza_ (also known as _stracchino_). It goes on after frying and quickly melts on the hot crust. I also add thin slices of the cooked ham sold in Italian delis as _prosciutto cotto_. Not to be confused with prosciutto, which is cured but not cooked, this is what we know as ham, but it's a bit paler, less smoky, and more delicate than typical American deli ham. For this method, it's really helpful to roll your dough out as close to the stove top as possible and to have everything set up before you start cooking: your skillet on the stove top, a lid within easy reach, your cheeses and toppings measured out, and a plate lined with paper towels right next to the stove. Keep a close eye on the heat as you fry and adjust it as needed so the dough cooks all the way through without burning on the outside.
Provided by Tony Gemignani
Yield Makes one 12-inch pizza; 6 slices
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Remove the dough ball from the refrigerator and leave wrapped at room temperature until the dough warms to 60°F to 65°F.
- Line a large dinner plate with paper towels. Pour the oil into a 12-inch cast-iron skillet and have a lid and a pair of tongs nearby.
- Dust a work surface near the stove with semolina, then move the dough to the surface and dust the top.
- Press out the dough into a flat disk and roll it out into an 11-1/2-inch round.
- Heat the oil in the skillet over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes, until very hot with ripples covering the surface. Gently lift the dough and lower the bottom of one edge into the side of the pan closest to you, then lower the remaining dough into the pan. Cook for about 2 minutes, using tongs to check the bottom often and to rotate the dough as needed to brown evenly. If bubbles form on the top of the dough, pierce them gently with the tongs.
- When the bottom is golden brown, turn the dough over. Immediately sprinkle the mozzarella evenly over the surface and cover the pan. Cook for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes, until the cheese has melted and the bottom of the dough is a rich golden brown. Using the tongs, reach to the center of the pizza and transfer it to the towel-lined plate to drain briefly.
- Transfer the pizza to the cutting board and cut into 6 wedges. Scatter the lardo and pinches of the squacquerone evenly over the top. Drape a slice of prosciutto cotto on each slice and garnish with shavings of the pecorino.
Are you curently on diet or you just want to control your food's nutritions, ingredients? We will help you find recipes by cooking method, nutrition, ingredients...
Check it out »
You'll also love
