Italian Grill - Mario Batali [24]
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
Eight ¾-inch-thick slices Italian peasant bread
Coarse sea salt
PREHEAT A GAS GRILL or prepare a fire in a charcoal grill.
In a medium bowl, combine the tomatoes, mozzarella, garlic, oregano, basil, red pepper flakes, and olive oil and toss or stir gently to mix. Season lightly with kosher salt and mix gently again. Set aside.
Grill the bread until dark golden brown lines form on the first side, 1 to 2 minutes, then turn over and repeat on the second side.
Arrange the grilled bread on a platter, top with the tomato mixture, and sprinkle with coarse sea salt. Serve immediately.
The whole game here is the quality of the mozzarella and the quality of the tomatoes—wait for summer. Best, of course, are vine-ripened tomatoes you have just picked yourself.
TUSCAN-STYLE CROSTINI WITH
CHICKEN LIVERS
SERVES 4 AS AN ANTIPASTO
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small red onion, cut into ⅛-inch dice
8 ounces chicken livers, rinsed and trimmed
2 tablespoons capers
3 anchovy fillets, preferably from salt-packed anchovies, soaked for 1 hour in milk if salt-packed
1 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes, or to taste
½ cup dry white wine
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Twelve ¼-inch-thick slices thin Italian bread, such as filone, or baguette
PREHEAT A GAS GRILL or prepare a fire in a charcoal grill.
In a 10- to 12-inch sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned, about 6 minutes. Add the livers, capers, anchovies, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring occasionally, until the livers are lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Add the wine and cook until it has evaporated, about 4 minutes.
Transfer the mixture to a food processor and pulse eight or nine times (quick 1- to 2-second blasts) just to a chunky puree, not until smooth. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a bowl. (This keeps well, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.)
Grill the bread, turning once, until deep golden brown on both sides, 1 to 2 minutes. Smear each toast with a generous tablespoon of the liver mixture and serve.
A classic Tuscan antipasto, made with chicken livers—or the livers of whatever bird you are cooking, such as guinea hen (see page 147). You can make the chicken liver topping well in advance, then just toast the bread when you fire up the grill for dinner.
PIZZA DOUGH
MAKES ABOUT 1 ¾ POUNDS
3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
2 teaspoons instant or rapid-rise yeast
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup warm water
¼ cup dry white wine, at room temperature
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
IN A LARGE BOWL, combine the flour, yeast, salt, and sugar and mix well. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the warm water, wine, and olive oil. Using a wooden spoon, stir the wet ingredients into the dry until the mixture is too stiff to stir, then mix with your hands in the bowl until the dough comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
Lightly dust a work surface with flour and turn the dough out. Knead gently, dusting the work surface lightly with more flour as necessary, for 5 minutes, or until the dough is smooth, elastic, and only slightly sticky.
Oil a large clean bowl, add the dough, and turn to coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel, set in a warm part of the kitchen, and let the dough rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Punch down the dough, and it is ready to use.
This is an easy and versatile dough. I use the same basic dough for many flatbreads, including the Sage Flatbreads on page 149, as well as pizza.
PIZZA MARGHERITA
MAKES 4 PIZZAS
Pizza Dough (page 66)
1 cup simple tomato sauce (I like Pomì strained tomatoes)
8 ounces fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
About ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
24 fresh basil leaves
Coarse sea salt
PREPARE A GAS OR CHARCOAL