Smoked salmon and beetroot pizza
This easy-to-make recipe ticks all the boxes for entertaining — it looks spectacular, tastes delicious and is simple to assemble. Earthy, sweet beetroot makes a lovely contrast with the salty salmon. A minimal-effort showstopper. Zhug is a spicy Yemenite spicy green sauce made with fresh parsley and coriander, chilli and various spices. You can find it ready to use in many kosher supermarkets. Use any leftover as a condiment in sandwiches, on falafel or just to dip pita into.
Serves: 8
Prep: 30 minutes Cook: 30-40 minutes
INGREDIENTS
For the dough:
7g dried yeast
1 tsp sugar
225ml warm water 275g strong white bread flour 1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
For garnish:
180g pre-cooked beetroot, thinly sliced
100g smoked salmon
A few dill fronds – about 10g 3 tbsp crème fraîche
3 tbsp zhug (I like the Urban Kitchen brand)
2 tbsp capers, drained and rinsed
½ lemon, thinly sliced and quartered
Olive oil, to drizzle (optional) 2 thinly sliced spring onions
METHOD
G Add the yeast and sugar to the warm water. Mix well and leave somewhere warm for 5-10 minutes until the top is foamy.
G Meanwhile, mix the flour and salt in a large bowl.
G Make a well in the flour and add the olive oil, mixing it well with either fingers or a spoon to create a breadcrumb texture.
G Pour in the yeasty water and mix well. Once it starts coming together, use your hands to bring together into a dough
G Knead well until the dough is smooth and soft and comes away from the bowl. G Leave to rest, covered for an hour.
G Once this has been done, lightly flour the worktop and tip the dough out. Roll out using a rolling pin until you have a thin, oval shaped piece of flat dough.
G Bake for 40 minutes until the base is golden and slightly crisp. Check the underneath to ensure that the bottom of the dough is cooked.
G Once cooked, leave to cool completely on a wire rack before transferring to the serving platter.
G Cover the the dough with the beetroot slices. Arrange strips of smoked salmon across the dough.
G Dot with the zhug and crème fraîche and scatter over the capers, lemon, dill and spring onion.
G Drizzle with olive oil for serving if using.