Pizza Quattro Stagioni (http://www.recipehound.com)
- basic pizza dough
- cornmeal, if using a pizza peel
- about 1/2 cup olive oil, preferably extra-virgin
- 1/4 cup (about 1 ounce) fresly grated Parmesan cheese
- 6 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto
- 1 cup (about 4 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup peeled, seeded, chopped, and well-drained vine-ripened or canned Italian plum tomatoes
- 3/4 cup chopped fresh or canned mussels or clams
- 1-1/4 cups thinly sliced fresh mushrooms, sauteed in 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
- salt
- minced fresh herbs such as parsley, oregano, basil, and thyme, and whole sprigs for garnish, preferably 4 different herbs
Reserve one-fourth of the dough. Roll out or stretch the remaining pizza dough as directed for thin-crusted flat pizza in the basic recipe. Place the dough on a pizza peel generously sprinkled with cornmeal or on a lightly oiled pizza screen. Divide the reserved dough onto 2 pieces and with palms of hands roll each piece into a ball and then into a cylinder about 1/3 inch in diameter; holding the cylinder at each end, twist in opposite directions to resemble a rope and place the 2 cylinder at right angles across the pizza crust to form even quarters. Brush the dough all over with olive oil. Leaving the dough ropes exposed and a 1/2-inch border around the outer rim, top one quarter of the dough with the Parmesan cheese, then the prosciutto. Fill another section with the mozzarella and 1/2 cup of the tomatoes. Fill the third section with the mussels or clams, and combine the mushrooms and remaining 1/2 cup tomatoes in the last section. Sprinkle the garlic over all the sections, add salt to taste, and drizzle evenly with olive oil.
Transfer the pizza to the preheated baking surface and bake until the crust is golden brown and puffy, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven to a cutting tray or board and lightly brush the crust with olive oil. Sprinkle each section with one type minced herb and garnish with a sprig of the same herb. Slice and serve immediately.
Last updated: March 30, 2003