Surf and Turf Pizzas

It's Surf vs Turf,  with shrimp infused cream sauce, sausage and seafood going up against fried garlic and fresh tomato sauce with steak and pepperoni.  With a four different types of cheese to keep things interesting.

  

Surf Pizza Ingredients
1 small fillet haddock (or other firm white fish)
5 large shrimp with shells
1/2 Andouille sausage,  sliced thinly
1/4 cup bok choy,  sliced finely
1 spring onion diced

Cajun seasoning

1 cup mozzarella cheese,  diced
1/2 cup asiago cheese, grated
1/2 cup emmental cheese, grated

1 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup sour cream
1 bay leaf
4 whole allspice seeds

1 x Pizza dough

Turf Pizza Ingredients
1 small filet mignon,  sliced very thinly
1 garlic clove,  crushed and chopped finely
Italian herb seasoning
salt

4 large slices pepperoni,  quartered
1 spring onion, diced
1/8 cup bok choy, sliced thinly

1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, diced
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
1/4 cup asiago cheese, grated

3 large ripe tomatoes,  stem removed and diced.
4 garlic cloves,  crushed and diced
olive oil

1 x Pizza dough

Surf Pizza Instructions
1.  Remove shells from shrimp and combine in a small sauce pan with whipping cream,  bay leaf and allspice.   Bring to a simmer and cover.   Reduce to a low heat and let it infuse for 10-15 minutes,  then strain, discarding the shell mixture.  Add the sour cream and bring to a simmer, then reduce heat and let the sauce thicken, then remove from heat.

2.  Remove skin from the haddock (if needed),  then dice into largish (1/2 inch) chunks.  Cut each shrimp into 3 chunks.  Sprinkle fish and shrimp with a little cajun seasoning, then cover with cling film and put in the fridge until ready to top the pizza.

3.  Heat oven to 450F with pizza stone.   Roll out the pizza dough,  then put in the oven to cook for 3 minutes.  Remove pizza from oven,  then add the toppings:  first the sauce,  then cheeses,  then bok choy and spring onions,  finally the sausage, fish and shrimp.   Cook in the oven for 11-12 minutes at 450F.

4.  Remove pizza from oven with pizza spatula.  You may need to gently tip the pizza over a sink to drain off juices from the fish, and put into the oven for a few minutes more to dry out the crust.

Turf Pizza Instructions
1.  Heat a small sauce pan with about 1/8 cup of olive oil.   Add the 4 crushed and diced garlic cloves and fry gently until turning golden.   Add the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper.   Cook for 10-15 minutes covered.   Every few minutes prod the tomatoes until they are well broken down.  Then remove from heat and sieve the sauce into a heat-proof dish,  pressing down on tomatoes to move as much as the flesh through the sieve.  Scrape the bottom of the sieve.   Then return the sieved tomato sauce to the pan and bring to a simmer.  Continue simmering until the mixture has thickened enough to spread on the pizza, then remove from heat.

2.  Mix the finely sliced steak with Italian herb seasoning,  a little salt and the garlic.  Leave to combine at room temperature until pizza is ready for topping.

3.  Heat oven to 450F with second pizza stone.  Roll out the pizza dough and cook in the oven for 3 minutes.  Remove pizza and add the toppings:  first the tomato sauce,  then the cheeses,   then the bok choy and spring onion,  finally the pepperoni and steak slices.  Cook in the oven for 11-12 minutes at 450F.

Serve pizzas with a good New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc or an Aussie Zinfandel.

Roast chicken with pancetta-herb stuffing

Don't throw out bread/buns if they start to get stale - put them into the freezer and use for breadcrumbs!

I don't think I've ever bought breadcrumbs from the store - just warm up and dry-out (but not toast) the frozen bread/buns in an oven at a low temp (eg 275F) and then food process.  Voila - breadcrumbs.

Adding white wine and stock to the roasting tin keeps everything moist and makes great gravy. 

Ingredients

Stuffing

• 1/2 red onion, finely diced
• 2 thick (1/4") slices of pancetta, diced
• handful of fresh herbs (basil with some oregano and mint)
• 2 hot dog buns (frozen)
• Dash of Amontillado (Spanish Sherry)

• Large (5lb) chicken
• 2.5 lbs red potatoes
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 cup white wine

• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Instructions

1.  Remove chicken from the fridge to bring to room temperature whilst you prepare the stuffing.

2.  Heat the oven to 275F,  and put the frozen hot dog buns on the rack for 10 minutes

3.  Heat a frying pan with dash of olive oil,  then gently fry the red onion for 2-3 minutes on medium heat.  Add the pancetta and continue to fry until the pancetta starts to turn golden.

4.  Add a healthy dash of Amontillado, lower heat and reduce for about 3 minutes.   Remove from heat.

5.  Take the hot dog buns and put them into a food processor,   add the herbs and process for a minute or so until you have breadcrumbs.

6.  Put the herb breadcrumbs into a large mixing bowl and add the pancetta-onion mixture.  Stir well.

7.  Heat oven to 450F.  Put a large roasting tin with dash of olive oil into the oven to heat up.

8.  Stuff the cavity of the chicken with the stuffing.   Drizzle olive oil over the chicken and season skin with salt and pepper.

9.  Put the chicken into the hot roasting tin and put into the oven for 10 minutes.

10.  Meanwhile,  prepare the potatoes - cut into quarters and wash.  Leave peel on - it's healthy!

11.  Take out the roasting tin,  add the potatoes,   coating them in the oil and juices from the chicken.  Season the potatoes with salt and pepper.

12.  Pour the wine and chicken stock into the roasting tin,   put back into the oven and reduce heat to 350F.

13.  Cook for another 60-90 minutes,  checking every 20-30 minutes to turn the potatoes.

14.  Serve with vegetables,  eg steamed corn on the cob and green beans.

The Three Cs: Cod, Cabbage and Chorizo

Sorry, no pics - the meal disappeared too fast!!

Ingredients:

• 1 large cod fillet (about 1.5 lbs),  cut into 1.5" slices
• 1 Spanish chorizo,  1/4" slices  (alternative: coarsely chopped bacon or pancetta)
• 1/4 head white cabbage,  coarsely chopped
• 4, yes 4, cloves of garlic,  crushed and coarsely chopped
• 6 medium potatoes,  finely sliced (about 1/4")
• 5 large mushrooms,  quartered
• Spanish brandy for deglaze,  about 2 tablespoons
• Spanish sherry (Palo Cortado or Amontillado) for sauce - about 1 cup
• Water for sauce, about 1 cup
• Salt for seasoning
• Handful of fresh parsley (or oregano), finely chopped
• Plenty of olive oil

Fresh bread or baguette (for mopping up sauce)

Instructions:

1.  Sprinkle chopped herbs and pinch of salt on the fish;  press herbs down into the fish
2.  Pre-heat oven to 400 F
3.  Heat large french oven (le creuset) and add plenty (say 1/4 cup) of olive oil
4.  Gently fry potatoes for 5 mins, stirring frequently to coat well in oil and prevent sticking
5.  Add the garlic and mix well;  cook for a further 2 minutes
6.  Move potatoes and garlic to edge of the pan and add chorizo in the middle;  cook for a few minutes then stir well
7.  Cook mixture for another 3 minutes then add the brandy to deglaze
8.  Add the cabbage and mushrooms and mix well
9.  Add the sherry, turn up the heat and bring to a boil
10.  Reduce the sauce a little,  then add the water and bring back to a boil,  then cover with a lid and simmer;  monitor level of the sauce - it shouldn't be soup, but should be enough to steam the fish
11.  Heat a frying pan and add a dash (1 tbs) of olive oil
12.  Gently put the fish chunks in the pan and sear for a few minutes
13.  Take the frying pan off the heat and carefully add contents (fish and juices) to the potato/chorizo mixture - leave on top
14.  Add a lid and put in the oven for 10 minutes
15.  Serve with fresh bread