As a family we love going on picnics. Everyone brings a treat, wrapped in foil, in old ice cream cartons, on ancient indestructible orange plastic plates from the 70’s.
My grandmother used to bring a huge pot and a large bowl of homemade sugo. She would build a fire, boil water and cook a load of pasta so we wouldn’t miss out.
Polenta cakes and shortbread biscuits filled with jam and icing sugar served as desert and large flasks of piping hot coffee and abundant flasks of Chianti made the afternoon perfect.
Pizza is the perfect picnic food. Large crispy slices dripping with tomato and anchovies are mouth-watering in the fresh air. Stuffed pizza is always my favourite. Gooey and oily and just the thing to eat under an umbrella!
Pizza Farcita
Stuffed Pizza
Make the pizza dough:
700 g strong white flour
2 sachets instant easy-blend yeast
2 teaspoons salt
420ml hand hot water
1 tablespoon olive oil
Mix the dry ingredients together in a food processor.
Add the water and olive oil and beat together for 10 minutes or so with a dough hook to form a smooth, silky dough.
Leave in the bowl, cover with clingfilm and a tea towel and leave in a warm place until it has doubled in size.
Make the filing :
Outer green leaves of escarole, spinach or Kale, about 300g boiled.
3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic
2-3 small pieces dried chilli
2-3 anchovies chopped (optional)
1 tablespoon stoned black olives, chopped
½ tablespoon salted capers, soaked , rinsed and chopped
Add the greens to boiling salted water.
Boil for 10 minutes, 5 minutes if spinach.
Drain and refresh in cold water.
Roughly chop
Warm the olive oil in a large frying pan.
Add the garlic and chill and fry gently to release the flavours
Add the anchovy and stir around until it melts into the oil. This acts to add a lot of extra flavour.
Add the olives and capers and cook everything together for 5 minutes.
When ready to cook
Pre-heat the oven as high as you can, 240 C/Gas 8
Divide the dough into two and roll each out a round pizza shape.
Lay one on an oiled baking tray.
Spread the filling on top.
Lift the rest of the dough and lay it carefully on top of the filling.
Use your thumbs to press the edges of the dough together to seal the edges.
Drizzle the surface of the pizza with a little extra olive oil.
Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or so until the bottom is crispy.
Turnover and bake for a further 10 minutes until both sides and cooked.
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