The Fiji Times

Pizza recipes

- By LANCE SEETO

Homemade no-cook pizza sauce

Makes 4 cups

4 cloves garlic, fine chopped

1 can whole peeled or diced tomatoes 2 tablespoon­s extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon raw sugar

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar, plus more to taste

1 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1. Place all ingredient­s into a food blender and puree. Process the ingredient­s until smooth, stopping the motor and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. 2. Just spoon it onto a round of pizza dough and use the back of the spoon to smooth it out. This amount of sauce makes enough for 8 medium pizzas, depending on how much sauce you like on your pizza. 3. Refrigerat­e unused sauce for up to 1 week. To freeze the sauce, spoon any unused sauce into muffin tins. Freeze until solid, then pop the frozen cubes out of the mold and transfer to a freezer container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight before using on pizza, or microwave the cubes in 30-second bursts until they melt into a sauce.

Basic pizza dough

Makes 3 large pizzas

2 cups warm water

1 teaspoon white sugar (or try honey) 1 1/2 tablespoon­s dry yeast 2 tablespoon­s virgin olive oil

5 1/4 cups normal flour

1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt

1. In a small bowl or cup, add warm water then add yeast and sugar, let sit for 5 minutes to bloom, then stir to combine.

2. In a large mixing bowl, add the sifted flour and salt, and gradually add the yeast mix into the centre. If you are mixing by hand then use a fork until the dough starts to come together.

3. Add the olive oil into the bowl and fold through the dough.

4. On a lightly floured surface, remove dough from the bowl and knead until dough is smooth and elastic approximat­ely 8-10 minutes (if dough is really sticky add a little extra flour).

5. Place in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap and a large clean kitchen towel, leave until doubled in bulk, approximat­ely 90 minutes

6. Pre-heat oven to 250° Celsius. 7. Punch the dough down a few times to remove any air, and divide into 3 equal balls, let dough rest for 20 minutes.

8. Roll out into a circle till about 3mm thin or more for a thicker crust

9. Transfer to an oiled or floured baking tray, sauce top and cook!

Fried eggs and greens pizza

1 bunch green spring onions, trimmed 3 tablespoon­s virgin olive oil, divided

2 pizza bases

3 cups local green leafs (moca, spinach, watercress)

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Sea salt

6 Fried Eggs

½ cup mozzarella or pizza cheese

1. Drizzle spring onions with 1 Tbsp. olive oil on a baking tray and give them a toss. Roast in hot oven (195 degrees Celsius) until softened and charred black in spots, 8–10 minutes. Let cool; chop. 2. Prebake two rolled-out pizza dough 3. While bases are baking, toss greens in a medium bowl with lemon juice and a generous pinch of salt.

4. Remove pizza bases from oven then top with homemade pizza sauce, 3 fried eggs. Scatter half of greens over pizza and top with half of scallions and cheese. 5. Bake in hot oven until cheese melts.

Spicy lamb pizza 2 garlic cloves, finely grated ¼ cup tomato paste ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon ¾ teaspoon ground cumin ¾ teaspoon smoked paprika ¾ teaspoon sea salt, plus more 200gm minced lamb

½ cup tamarind chutney

2 pizza dough bases, room temperatur­e 2 tablespoon­s olive oil, divided, plus more for drizzling

½ small red onion, thinly sliced

1 cup basil leaves (or any other green herb) 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice Crushed red pepper flakes (for serving)

1. Mix garlic, tomato paste, cinnamon, cumin, paprika, and ¾ tsp. salt in a large bowl. Mix in with minced lamb.

2. Prepare 2 pizza dough and roll out. Spread tamarind chutney evenly over base 3. Crumble half of the lamb mixture over base and brush edges with 1 Tbsp. olive oil. Slide onto preheated baking sheet or pizza tray and bake at 195 degree Celsius until crust is golden brown, 6–8 minutes. Transfer pizza to a wire rack. Repeat with remaining pizza.

4. Toss onion, parsley, and lemon juice in a bowl; season with salt. Scatter over pizzas; sprinkle with red pepper flakes.

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LANCE SEETO ?? Spicy minced lamb pizza with tamarind chutney base.
Picture: LANCE SEETO Spicy minced lamb pizza with tamarind chutney base.
 ?? Picture: LANCE SEETO Picture: LANCE SEETO ?? Use the freshest ingredient­s for your homemade pizza.
Fried eggs and greens pizza.
Picture: LANCE SEETO Picture: LANCE SEETO Use the freshest ingredient­s for your homemade pizza. Fried eggs and greens pizza.
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There’s an art pizza.
Picture: LANCE SEETO to making There’s an art pizza.

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