Braden Family Cookbook

Chuck Braden

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GRILLED PIZZA MARGHERITA                                 Vincent Scotto, Scopa Restaurant

 

3 cups canned plum tomatoes in thick puree, crushed up
3/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
2 1/4 cups grated Romano cheese
2 1/4 cups grated fontina cheese
3 tablespoon chopped flat leaf parsley
Mashed potatoes, if desired (see recipes below)
1 recipe pizza dough divided into 6 pieces (recipe below)

In a bowl, combine the tomatoes in puree, basil, 1/4 cup of the olive oil and the garlic. Stir well and set aside at room temperature for up to 1 hour.  In a bowl, mix together the Romano and fontina cheeses.  Spread about 3/4 cup of the Romano‑fontina mixture over each pizza crust and then dollop each with 8 to 10 tablespoons of the tomato sauce. Do not spread the sauce over the crust. Drizzle each pizza with about a tablespoon of the remaining olive oil and sprinkle each with parsley. At this point if you desire, spread the mashed potatoes thinly over the dough. Slide the crust back to the edge of the hot section of the grill. Rotate them 3 to 4 minutes, until the bottoms are evenly golden brown. Cut pizzas and serve.

PIZZA DOUGH:

11 ounces lukewarm water
1 teaspoon fresh yeast
1 tablespoon molasses
2 ½ teaspoon kosher salt
2 ½ tablespoons olive oil
3 ½ cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup whole wheat flour

Mix the water, yeast, and molasses in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Let this stand for 12 minutes to activate the yeast (the water will foam slightly.)  Add the salt and oil to the bowl and mix well.  With mixer on low speed add the all purpose flour and the whole wheat flour to the bowl and mix until all the flour is absorbed and the dough pulls away from the side of the bowl.  Remove the dough from the bowl and cut the dough into 6 (5 ½ ounce) portions. Roll the portioned dough into balls and place on an oiled baking pan. Brush the ball lightly with olive oil and cover with plastic wrap.  If you are going to use the dough right away let the dough sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before using. You can store the dough after portioning for 1 day in the refrigerator, but you must let sit at room temperature for 1 hour before using. 

MASHED POTATOES: Vincent Scotto, Scopa Restaurant

2 pounds small red potatoes, cut into 1‑inch chunks but not peeled
1 cup heavy cream
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
Kosher salt to taste

Put the potatoes in a sauce pan and add enough cold water to cover them by 3 inches. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook, uncovered, for 15 to 20 minutes, until fork tender. Drain the potatoes and set aside.  In a saucepan, combine the cream and butter and heat over medium heat to melt the butter.  Raise the heat and bring the cream to a boil. Add the potatoes, mashing them with a fork as they are mixed with the cream. Do not mash them too much; they should be a little lumpy. Season with salt and serve hot.