ROASTED TOMATO EGGPLANT AND SMOKED MOZZARELLA PIZZAS
Reference:
Gourmet, February 1996
Prep:
Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 1 1/4 hr
Servings:
Serves 4.
Ingredients
Cooking Instructions
| 1 | medium eggplant (about 1 1/2 pounds), cut crosswise into 2 pieces |
| 3/4 | pound plum tomatoes, halved |
| 2 | tsps red-wine vinegar |
| 1/4 | tsp sugar |
| 4 | tsps yellow cornmeal |
| 1/2 | cup fresh basil leaves, washed well, spun dry, and chopped coarse |
| 1/4 | pound |
Cooking Instructions
| Step 1 | Make pizza dough: |
| Step 2 | In a large bowl stir together water and yeast and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Stir in flour and salt and blend until mixture forms a dough, adding additional tablespoon water if too dry. On a lightly floured surface knead dough about 10 minutes, or until smooth and elastic. (Alternatively, dough may be made in a standing electric mixer, In a bowl of mixer make dough as described above. With dough hook knead dough about 5 minutes, or until smooth and elastic.) |
| Step 3 | Put dough in a very lightly oiled deep bowl, turning to coat, and let rise, covered loosely, in a warm place 1 1/2 hours or until doubled in bulk. punch down dough and divide into 4 equal pieces. Dough keeps, each piece put in a small, sealable plastic bag and sealed, pressing out excess air, chilled overnight or frozen 2 weeks.If dough is frozen, thaw overnight in refrigerator before using. Makes enough dough for four 12- by 6-inch oval pizzas. |
| Step 4 | Make the pizza: |
| Step 5 | Preheat oven to 450F. and very lightly grease a large baking sheet. |
| Step 6 | Cut smaller eggplant piece into 1/3-inch-thick slices. Spread eggplant slices in one layer on half of baking sheet and season with salt. Put remaining eggplant piece and all but 2 tomato halves on second half of baking sheet. Roast vegetables in middle of oven 15 minutes, or until eggplant slices are tender, and transfer eggplant slices to a plate. Roast remaining vegetables 15 minutes more, or until eggplant piece is very tender. Remove baking sheet from oven and cool vegetables slightly. |
| Step 7 | Scoop out flesh from eggplant piece into a food processor and purЩe with roasted tomatoes, unroasted tomato, vinegar, sugar, and salt to taste. Sauce and sliced eggplant may be made 1 day ahead and kept separately, covered and chilled. |
| Step 8 | On a work surface sprinkled with 1 teaspoon cornmeal roll out 1 piece of dough into a 12- by 6-inch oval and transfer to a baking sheet. Repeat with remaining cornmeal and dough, ending up with 2 ovals on each of 2 baking sheets. |
| Step 9 | Increase temperature to 500F. |
| Step 10 | Spread sauce on dough ovals, leaving a 1/2-inch border around edge of each pizza. Arrange eggplant slices on sauce and sprinkle pizzas with basil and mozzarella. |
| Step 11 | Bake pizzas in lower and middle thirds of oven 15 minutes, or until crusts are crisp and pale golden. |
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