The Washington Post, May 28, 2008
A couple of years ago, the New York Times ran the recipe for one of Melissa McCart's favorite pizzas: a clam pie from Franny's in Brooklyn. But she found that it was labor-intensive and included more cream than she wanted.
So she came up with her own adaptation, with assists from a clam sauce recipe from Gourmet magazine and from a "Silver Spoon" recipe for fisherman's pie.
You will have leftover concentrated clam "glaze," even after making 2 pies; it can be used as a pasta sauce base. Refrigerate in an airtight container for 1 to 2 days.
Makes dough for two 10-inch pies and topping for one 10-inch pie (1 generous serving)
Ingredients:
For the doughDirections:
For the dough: Preheat the oven to 500 degrees, preferably with rectangular pizza stones on the top and middle shelves; that can take 45 minutes to 1 hour. Lightly flour a work surface; use 1 tablespoon of oil to grease the inside of each of 2 medium mixing bowls.
Heat the water in a microwave oven on HIGH for 30 to 45 seconds, until it is tepid (about 100 degrees). Add the honey and yeast; use a whisk to mix thoroughly. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes, until it is frothy.
Combine the flour and salt in the bowl of a food processor. With the motor running, slowly pour in the water-yeast mix until a slightly wet ball of dough forms. Transfer to the prepared work surface and knead for 10 minutes on a floured surface. The dough should gain elasticity as it is worked.
Divide the dough in half, forming 2 equal balls. Place a ball in each oiled bowl and turn until it is well coated. Cover with plastic wrap or a clean, dry dish towel. Let the dough rise for about 1 hour at room temperature. (At this point, 1 ball of dough can be refrigerated, well covered, for a day or two.)
Punch down the ball of dough and gradually press it out into a round about 10 inches in diameter. If you are using a pizza peel (paddle) to transfer the pie to the oven, sprinkle it liberally with cornmeal and transfer the round of dough to the peel.
While the dough is resting, make the sauce: Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic; cook for about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they have softened. Add the bay leaf and crushed red pepper flakes to taste, then the wine, stirring to combine, and heat through until barely bubbling at the edges. Add the clams, cover and cook for 9 to 10 minutes, until they have opened. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the clams to a plate to cool, discarding any that have not opened.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook the liquid remaining in the pot for 15 to 20 minutes, or until it has reduced to a thick glaze that just paints the bottom of the pot; during the cooking, scrape down the sides of the pot occasionally. Remove from the heat and discard the bay leaf.
Meanwhile, reserve a few of the clams in their shells to use as a garnish, if desired. Remove the remaining clams from their shells; discard the shells and coarsely chop the clam meat.
Lightly brush about 3 tablespoons of the reduced clam glaze on the round of dough, leaving a 1-inch margin at the edges. Distribute the clam meat evenly on the dough, then sprinkle with the Romano or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and salt and pepper to taste.
Liberally sprinkle the middle-rack pizza stone with cornmeal (if not using a pizza peel). Transfer the pie to the middle-rack stone; bake for 5 to 10 minutes or until the crust has browned and the cheese is just melted. Before serving, garnish with the chopped herbs and a few of the cooked clams in their shells, if desired. Serve hot.
From Washington food writer Melissa McCart.
223 calories, 5g fat, 2g saturated fat, 24mg cholesterol, 249mg sodium, 28g carbohydrates, 1g dietary fiber, n/a sugar, 13g protein.
