SHRIMP, TOMATO, AND BASIL PIZZAS

Shrimp, Tomato, and Basil Pizzas image

Provided by Food Network

Number Of Ingredients 20

Ingredients

2 1/4 pounds ripe tomatoes (about 7 medium)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
2 large shallots, peeled and finely chopped
1 branch fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
5 sheets frozen phyllo dough, defrosted
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
54 uncooked medium shrimp (about 3 pounds), peeled, sliced in half horizontally, and deveined
Fine sea salt, to taste
Freshly ground white pepper, to taste
Cayenne, to taste
36 long saffron threads
1/4 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
3 tablespoons extravirgin olive oil
6 fresh basil leaves, cut across into thin strips

Steps:

For the Tomato confit, bring a pot of water to a boil. Blanch the tomatoes for 5 seconds, then dip them into ice water until cold. Peel, cut in half crosswise, and squeeze out the seeds. Finely chop the tomatoes and set them aside. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large saucepan over mediumhigh heat. Add the garlic and shallots, lower the heat slightly, and saute until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the thyme and rosemary. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, and pepper. Lower the heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 12 minutes. Take out the thyme and simmer until the mixture is thick, about 8 minutes longer. (The confit can be made up to 3 days ahead. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container.) For the pastry, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lay 1 sheet of phyllo dough on a work surface, keeping the rest covered with a damp cloth until needed. Brush with melted butter and top with another sheet of phyllo. Repeat until all of the phyllo and butter are used. Using the ring as a guide, cut out 6 circles of phyllo, discarding the scraps. Line a large baking sheet With parchment paper and put the phyllo circles on the pan (or bake in 2 batches if necessary to fit). Cover with another sheet of parchment, pressing the paper into the phyllo. Bake until the pastry is well browned, about 12 minutes. Set aside. To make the shrimp, use the ring as a guide to cut out 12 circles of parchment paper. Brush 6 of these with butter. Put the ring over 1 of the buttered rounds, as a guide to keep the shrimp in an even circle. Arrange the shrimp halves in a radial pattern on top of the parchment, cut side up, as close together as possible so they completely cover the paper. Repeat with the remaining shrimp, covering the 6 buttered papers. Place the shrimp rounds on a baking sheet and refrigerate until ready to use. (The recipe can be made to this point early on the day you plan to serve.) To serve preheat oven to 550 degrees. Pull the top sheet of parchment off the shrimp. Season with salt and pepper. Spread each phyllo round with 3 tablespoons of tomato confit. Work quickly from this point on or the pastry will get soggy. Invert the shrimp rounds over the phyllo so the edges line up perfectly. Pull off the parchment. Season the top of the shrimp with salt and pepper and sprinkle very lightly with cayenne. Scatter the saffron and thyme over the shrimp and drizzle each pizza with 1 teaspoon of oil. Put on a baking sheet (or divide between 2) and bake until the shrimp turn pink, about 5 minutes. Scatter the basil over the pizzas and drizzle another 1/2 teaspoon of oil over each one. Place on plates and serve immediately