Stuffed Crust Pizza

Hello guys, 

My sincerest apologies for the lack of communication.. It’s been very crazy lately. 

You all know how I love the pizzas, and this time I’ve made a mozzarella stuffed pizza (and I did not cheat when it comes to making the pizza base!) 

For the dough base: 

• 500gr plain flour
• 1 sachet instant yeast
• 320ml luke warm water
•  1/2teaspoon salt 
• 1/2 teaspoon caster sugar
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Start by mixing the the water, yeast, olive oil and sugar in a cup until it’s dissolve. 

Sieve the flour and add the salt, if you have a big enough surface, I would suggest mixing the dough in your kitchen counter, but if you don’t, use  a large enough bowl that you can use to mix the ingridients. Don’t feel discourage just because you don’t have the space to. 

Gradually bring in the flour from the sides of the bowl, and keep mixing until you have a smooth springy dough. 

Place the dough in a lightly floured bowl and cover it with a damp towel to proof for one hour at least.

Once the dough has risen, you can divide it in 4 pieces and wrap in cling film and freeze the pieces you’re not going to use straight away. 

Preheat your over to 250C. 

I’ve cheated and used a rolling pin to roll out my dough into a perfect circle. I would usually do it the traditional way however because we want to stuff the crust, we got to make it look nice.

Pizza topping:

• Tomato and basil passata 
• Grated mozzarella 
• Salami 
• Ham
• Chopped vine tomatoes 
• Rocket

Put the rolled dough on a grease proof paper sheet and neatly put grated mozzarella on the edges of the rolled out dough and slowly fold the edge over the cheese and press down. 

Top the dough with the passata sauce first, then some more grated mozzarella, the meats, some more mozzarella (never enough cheese!) and finally the chopped tomatoes. 

Cook the pizza in the preheated oven for about 15-20 minutes, or until the crust is lightly brown and the cheese bubbling. 

Top the pizza with rocket for some fresh peppery taste! 

Try it and let me know how it goes! 
Ana X 

Portuguese Chorizo Bread

Happy Sunday guys!

I have so many recipes that I have to post but I have been slacking big time! 

Let’s start with this easy Portuguese chorizo bread recipe. 

  
For the bread recipe please see my White Bread Recipe – however instead of using white truffle oil, use extra virgin olive oil. 

Use half of a chorizo ring and cut the chorizo into thin slices. 

Once you’ve proved your dough, divide it into 3 portions and roll out each portion into rectangles. Layer the sliced chouriço on the dough, about 3 slices per row. Roll the dough up, and pinch the seams to close – it doesn’t have to be perfect – we want them to look rustic. 

With a knife make 4 diagonal cuts to the top of the bread. Set the rolls on a greaseproof baking sheet and let them rise for about another 30 minutes, then dust the tops of the rolls with some flour.

Bake in a preheated oven at 220C for about 25-30 minutes until the bread is done.

These are great fresh out of the oven or the next day! 

Try it and let me know how it goes! 
Ana x

Chinese Steamed Scallops with Vermicelli

Hello guys! 
So my mom was over on holiday and that is why I haven’t posted recently, I was busy being the great daughter that I am! haha

While she was here, we went to Billingsgate Market – my first time as well! – and I completely fell in love with the place! If I could, I would have bought the whole place.
My recipe for you today is Chinese Steamed Scallops with Vermicelli – This recipe is amazing however it takes time if you are buying fresh scallops, which I would definitely recommend for the visual effect of course.

  
 
Ingredients: 

• 6 half-shelled fresh scallops
• 30g of rice vermicelli 
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil 
• 8 middle size garlic cloves
• 1 handful coriander
• 2 spring onions
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil 
• Salt

In a large bowl, soak your vermicelli in boiling water. While the noodle softens, remove the scallop meat from its shell, with a spoon or a small knife and wash the meat under cold water to remove  sand or any dirty bits. You will also want to wash the shells to remove all dirt, as you will be using this to present/eat the dish.  

Place some water in wok and set up the steamer – You can place the shells directly into the steamer or you can put them on a plate, which is what I prefer. If you are not using a plate, you will need to place the vermicelli evenly in each shell under the scallop. Alternatively, place the bunch of vermicelli on the plate and drizzle with the sesame oil making sure that they are all coated – If you don’t do this, it might get stuck to the plate and you will curse at yourself when you try to wash that plate. 

Depending on the size of your steamer/wok, you might have to cook the scallops in 2 batches. 

Put the garlic in a blender or food processor, add the cooking oil, coriander, spring onions and salt to taste. Blitz the ingredients until it becomes a thick paste and scoop the mixture into each of the shells next to the scallop meat. 

Bring the water up to boiling and then continue to cook for 8-10 minutes.

This recipe takes a bit of time for preparation, but it is well worth the work. Serve the scallops with the vermicelli 

Enjoy! 

Ana x