Ingredients
500g new potatoes
Olive oil
2-3 balls of buffalo mozzarella
200g freshly grated pecorino or mature cheddar
A bunch of fresh thyme
For the dough (you can use a bought one if you prefer)
500g strong bread flour
1 x 7g sachet dry yeast
2 tsp sugar
½ Tsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil
320ml water
For the chilli oil
A small handful of chile de arbol, or other dried, red chillies
250ml extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, skin still on
2 tsp good quality white wine vinegar (preferably chardonnay)
A tsp sea salt
To serve
2 avocados, sliced
200g rocket leaves
This recipe is inspired by the delicious open pizzas made of a wafer thin corn dough sold at night-time in two main streets in Oaxaca, Mexico for people rolling out of nearby bars. They are cooked over open fires and accompanied with various chilli salsas and beers or fizzy drinks to wash them down. I cheat here and use a basic pizza dough but by all means buy a dough ready to roll. They are messy and delicious, perfect weekend eating.
Serves
6
Preparation time
40 minutes (plus approx. 1 hour rising time if you are making the dough)
Cooking time
10-15 minutes
- Start the yeast by using ¼ of the warm water, and ½ the sugar and the yeast. Mix well and set aside for 5-10 minutes until you see the yeast going frothy in the water.
- In a mixing bowl sift the flour, salt and remaining sugar together. Whisk in the frothy yeast, olive oil and remaining water and then knead together with your hands to bring the dough together. On a floured surface, knead the dough until smooth and elastic, this will take about five minutes. Place in a lightly oiled bowl covered with cling film to rise until doubled in size (about an hour).
- Scrub the potatoes clean and simmer until tender in boiling, salted water. Cool slightly and then slice into thin rounds. Punch down the dough and on a lightly floured surface and divide into 6 balls of dough. Roll them out as thinly as you can (less than half a centimetre if possible) and then transfer them to pre-heated baking sheets. Drizzle each pizza with a little olive oil, and then top with torn up bits of the mozzarella. Scatter over the potato slices, the thyme and pecorino.
- Cook right at the bottom of the oven so the bases can crisp up or on a pizza stone. When they are crispy and golden, take out and scatter with rocket, some chile de arbol oil, Maldon salt and some slices of avocado.
- To make the oil, dry roast the garlic in a dry frying pan over a medium hot flame. When the skins have blackened and the garlic feels soft to the touch remove them from the pan (about 5-10 minutes).
- Meanwhile heat a frying-pan over a medium heat and dry toast the chillies for 30-40 seconds stirring to toast them all over. You want to just toast them to release their nutty flavours, without burning them. Whiz them up with the remaining garlic, salt and vinegar and put in a saucepan with the olive oil. Heat the oil for about 5 minutes over a low heat until the oil is still just warm to the touch. Cool and bottle.
