Pistachio, Rosemary and Red Onion Pizza

Like many dishes I cook, this was inspired by a tv show. I am an avid Food Network fan, one of my favourite shows being The Best Thing I Ever Ate, wherein famous US tv chefs tell us about their favourite restaurant dishes. There was recently an episode on pizzas broadcast which included the 'Rosa' from Pizzeria Bainco in Phoenix, Arizona. It was a super thin crist topped with red onion, parmigiano reggiano, rosemary and Arizona pistachios and looked superb. Needless to say, I felt a great urge to cook it, and so I did.

I fail to see how anything could fail to be delicious and beautiful with the addition of pistachio nuts. They work so well with the red onion, and my addition of a little mozzarella adds additional creaminess and that cheesy stringiness I find so intrinsic to a good pizza.

The dough recipe I used was by (heaven forbid) Anthony Worral Thompson, and I have to admit is a very good one, but do remember that the dough has to be left for a few hours to prove and then again for a little while to rest before shaping. Also, try and get it as thin as possible and make sure to keep an eye on it while it's cooking. As there is no sauce you need to make sure you don't crisp it up too much or your pizza will be dry and the delicate flavours lost.

Pistachio, Rosemary and Red Onion Pizza
Serves 2

Pizza Dough Ingredients
175 ml water, lukewarm
1 packet (7g) active dried yeast
1 tbsp olive oil
275g strong white flour
pinch of salt

Topping Ingredients
a little extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
75g mozzarella, grated
50g parmesan cheese, grated
50g pistachio nuts, shelled and finely chopped
1-2 tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 red onion, finely sliced

Pizza Dough Method
Pour 75ml of the lukewarm water into a jug and mix in the yeast, then place in a warm place for 10 minutes (I put mine next to a radiator. Stir in the olive oil.

Put the flour and salt into a large bowl, make a well in the centre and pour in the yeast mixture. Mix until just combined and then knead together on a floured surface until you get a nice elastic dough. Oil a large bowl lightly and place the dough in it, then cover with cling film and set aside in a warm place for 1-2 hours by which time the dough should have doubled in size.

Remove from the bowl and knead again until smooth, then set aside on a tray to rest for a little while before shaping - about half an hour.

You now want to shape the dough - flatten it with your fingers onto a floured surface, then drape over your fist and gently stretch it from the outside edge. When you have got the required shape place it on an oven tray dusted lightly with semolina or flour.

Finishing The Pizza
Preheat the oven to the hottest temperature it will reach.

Drizzle a little olive oil over the pizza base, then sprinkle over the mozzarella and parmesan. Now evenly strew over the pistachio nuts and rosemary before laying on as many slices of red onion as you desire.

Bake in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes, keeping an eye on it so it doesn't burn. You want the base to be cooked but not to scorch the nuts, cheese or onions.

Serve with a dressed salad or a bowl of good soup.

Basil and Mozzarella Arancini

You know when you're watching a cooking show or reading a food blog and you come across a recipe that makes you practically jump in the air shouting 'holy crap I need that in my face NOW'? Yes, I believe you do.

Arancini are one of those things I've been aware of for a while but kept forgetting about, so the jealousy that swept over me when seeing some guy on Food Network chomping on one of these deep fried delights was just the kick in the butt I needed to get experimenting.

I always have reservations about deep frying, I'm not exactly sure why... There have been no hot oil burn incidents in my past, not that I can recall anyway - I've heard that extreme pain can block out memories but I'm pretty sure on this one. I think it might just be my aversion to smelly kitchens and when you fry some stuff you just can't help but get a kitchen full of greasy, fatty air. I could never, ever work in a fish and chip shop that's for sure.

Rambling aside, this 'fear to fry' paranoia was swept right out the door upon viewing the stringy melted mozzarella core of these golden risotto beauties. Unless you have a severe cheese hatred I defy you to look at the following picture and not salivate.

These babies really are special.

Now this recipe is in no way traditional, it's just my take on it. I've seen arancini filled with meat ragu, diced cooked mushrooms, a thick tomato sauce, even a venison type stew. A few of the concoctions I'd like to try in the future are roasting little vine or cherry tomatoes to encase in the risotto, roasted sweet potato cubes, and perhaps some creamy garlic and spinach.

I used leftover risotto from dinner the evening before which I'd made with lemon, saffron, mushrooms and prawns but use your imagination, these are very versatile little bites. At the end of this post I'll put a few links to some risotto recipes I think would work well in case you haven't developed a serious risotto fetish like I have. There's not a hint of shame there, I promise.

Basil and Mozzarella Arancini
Makes around 12

Ingredients
3 cups of cold risotto
1 packet of pizza mozzarella (the kind that doesn't come in liquid)
12 leaves of basil
2 medium eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups of breadcrumbs *
Enough oil to fill your pan about 3 inches deep **

Method
Cut the mozzarella into twelve 2cm cubes and wrap each one in a leaf of basil. Preparing a little arancini production line will make life a lot easier so put the bowls of beaten egg, breadcrumbs, risotto and mozzarella cubes together with a baking tray next to them.

Grab a small handful of risotto, about the size of a golf ball, and push one of the basil and mozzarella cubes into it. Squish the risotto around it make a ball shape with no gaps in the rice.
Next, coat the ball in the beaten egg and then roll in the breadcrumbs to give an even coverage. Place on the baking tray and repeat until you have all twelve done.

Preheat the oven to 150C/300F and then heat up your oil on the hob. The oil is hot enough to deep fry when you can see ripples in the pan. I usually throw in a pinch of flour to make sure - if it starts to fizzle and cook immediately the oil is ready, if it doesn't let it heat up for a few more minutes and try again.

Fry off the arancini in batches until they are a lovely golden brown, then remove them from the pan and let them sit on kitchen roll for a few minutes for the excess oil to drain off. You can then place these on a baking tray and sit them in the middle of the preheated oven to keep warm while you fry off the other batches.

Arancini are best served warm, not hot and are especially good dipped in a good quality tomato relish!

Recipe Notes
I used a half and half mix of traditional breadcrumbs and panko which are the Japanese version to coat my arancini. Panko is coarser and therefore gives a bit more of a crunch, and can now be found in most supermarkets.

Make sure whichever oil you use has a high smoking point such as vegetable, sunflower or a branded frying oil. This will stop your kitchen filling up with smoke and looking and smelling like an Alice Cooper concert.

Lastly, the best pans for deep frying are made of cast iron as they evenly conduct the heat so you don't get 'cool spots' in your oil.

Risotto Recipe Links

Smoked Salmon Risotto from Not So Humble Pie

Mushroom Risotto from Guilty Kitchen

Lemon Risotto with Saffrom from Little Kitchen LnL

Caramelised Onion Risotto from Fake Ginger

Whitby Crab and Wild Garlic Risotto from Louisa Parry

Vegan Pumpkin Risotto from The Post Punk Kitchen

Vegan Mushroom Risotto from Ashley Skabar