Passionate About Pizza: Making Great Homemade Pizza (45 page)

Spiedies are a family favorite from the Binghamton, New York area. Those living in the “Southern Tier” know Spiedies well but for some reason they have not become well known elsewhere. They have a wonderful taste when served either on pizza or as a main dish.

In Binghamton, you can buy Spiedies already marinated. The rest of us need to buy or make the marinade sauce and prepare them ourselves. You can order Spiedie marinade from several sources. My favorite is Salamida’s Original State Fair Spiedie Sauce marinade.

Makes one fourteen to sixteen inch pizza.

12 ounces Salamida’s Original State Fair Spiedie Sauce marinade
1 pound boneless chicken thighs or chicken breasts
1 recipe Basic Pizza Dough (
page 92
)
8 ounces Mozzarella cheese, finely shredded
Italian herbs
salt and pepper
unbleached all-purpose flour (for kneading and shaping)

Topping
– Shake the Spiedie sauce well before using it. Cut the chicken thighs into inch-wide strips. Combine the chicken and eight ounces of Spiedie sauce in a zip-seal plastic bag and mix well. Let the chicken marinate overnight. Remove the chicken from the bag and discard the marinade. Place the marinated chicken on skewers and cook the chicken on a grill until done. Cut the cooked chicken into bite-size pieces and place in a small bowl. Add two ounces Spiedie sauce to moisten all the pieces of chicken. We call this cooked, marinated chicken called Spiedie meat. Set aside the meat until ready to assemble the pizza.

Shaping
– Prepare Basic Pizza Dough as directed. Stretch the dough into a circle and place it on a prepared pizza peel. Be sure to make a rim around the edge to keep the Spiedie sauce on the pizza while it bakes.

Assembly
– Spread two ounces or so of shaken Spiedie sauce evenly over the surface of the dough, leaving a half inch border. Spread the Spiedie meat evenly over the surface of the pizza. Evenly spread the cheese over the meat. Season to taste with Italian herbs, salt, and pepper.

Baking
– Slide the pizza onto a preheated baking stone and bake at 500˚ for eight to twelve minutes. Toppings should be boiling over the entire surface. The crust should be crunchy-chewy and very lightly browned.

The pizza will seem somewhat juicy or wet when it is done baking. Do not worry; the liquid will solidify with the cheese as the pizza toppings cool. Let the pizza sit for five to ten minutes before serving.

Variations
– You can use almost any kind of meat in place of the chicken. Lamb and beef Spiedies are also very popular but cut the meat into very small pieces if used on pizza. Cut the meat into cubes and place it onto skewers like shish kebobs for cooking. You can use the entire bottle of Spiedie sauce to marinate a larger quantity of meat and serve the additional meat with another meal.

Eggplant Pizza

Makes one fourteen to sixteen inch pizza.

1 medium sized eggplant
1 medium sized onion
2 Tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic
1 lemon, optional
1 recipe Basic Pizza Dough (see recipe
page 92
)
olive oil
6 – 8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
Romano cheese
salt and pepper
unbleached all-purpose flour (for kneading and shaping)

Topping
– Slice the eggplant into 1/4 thick slices. Slice the onion into 1/4 inch thick slices so the pieces will come out as rings. Sauté the onion and eggplant in two Tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Slice the garlic into thin slices. When the eggplant and onions are almost done add in the garlic and continue cooking until everything is soft and tender. If you plan to use the lemon, slice it into very thin slices and remove any pieces of seeds.

Shaping
– Prepare Basic Pizza Dough as directed. Stretch the dough into a circle and place it on a prepared pizza peel.

Assembly
– Brush the dough all over with olive oil. Evenly distribute the eggplant and onion slices over the sauce. Sprinkle the feta cheese over the toppings. Season to taste with Romano cheese, salt, and pepper.

Baking
– Slide the pizza onto a preheated baking stone and bake at 500˚ for eight to ten minutes. Toppings should be bubbling over the entire surface. The crust should be crunchy-chewy and very lightly browned.

Variation
– Sprinkle oregano, thyme, or mixed Italian herbs on the pizza before baking.

Four-Cheese Pizza

Makes one fourteen to sixteen inch pizza.

2 ounces parmesan cheese, finely shredded
2 ounces fontinella (or fontina) cheese, finely shredded
2 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, finely shredded
2 ounces Mozzarella cheese, finely shredded
1 recipe Basic Pizza Dough (see recipe
page 92
)
olive oil
1 cup Squashed Tomato Sauce (see recipe
page 116
)
Italian herbs
salt and pepper
unbleached all-purpose flour (for kneading and shaping)

Topping
– Combine all the cheeses in a bowl and mix well.
Shaping
– Prepare Basic Pizza Dough as directed. Stretch the dough into a circle and place it on a prepared pizza peel.

Assembly
– Brush the dough with olive oil. Spread the squashed tomato sauce evenly over the surface of the dough, leaving a half-inch border. Evenly spread the cheese mixture on the sauce. Season to taste with Italian herbs, salt, and pepper.

Baking
– Slide the pizza onto a preheated baking stone and bake at 500˚ for ten to twelve minutes. Toppings should be boiling over the entire surface. The crust should be crunchy chewy and very lightly browned.

Fresh Plum Tomato and Mozzarella Pizza

Makes one fourteen to sixteen inch pizza.

8 ounces fresh Mozzarella cheese, cubed (from deli section)
1 recipe Basic Pizza Dough (see recipe
page 92
)
olive oil
1 recipe Fresh Plum Tomato Sauce (see recipe
page 117
)
Italian herbs
Romano cheese
salt and pepper
unbleached all-purpose flour (for kneading and shaping)

Topping
– Drain the Mozzarella, then cut it into quarter inch cubes.

Shaping
– Prepare Basic Pizza Dough as directed. Stretch the dough into a circle and place it on a prepared pizza peel.

Assembly
– Brush the dough with olive oil. Spread the plum tomato sauce evenly over the surface of the dough, leaving a half-inch border. Evenly distribute the cubed Mozzarella over the tomato sauce. Season to taste with Italian herbs, Romano cheese, salt, and pepper.

Baking
– Slide the pizza onto a preheated baking stone and bake at 500˚ for ten to twelve minutes. Toppings should be boiling over the entire surface. The crust should be crunchy chewy and very lightly browned.

Variation
– If you prefer, you can use smoked fresh Mozzarella. I find the smoked taste to be a nice accompaniment to the other flavors of this pizza. You can use fresh basil to taste in place of the Italian herbs, as well.

Fresh Tomato and Green Pepper Pizza

Makes one fourteen to sixteen inch pizza.

2 small fresh tomatoes
1 large green pepper
1 recipe Basic Pizza Dough (see recipe
page 92
)
olive oil
1 cup Basic Pizza Sauce (see recipe
page 113
)
8 ounces Mozzarella cheese, shredded
Basil
salt and pepper
Romano cheese
unbleached all-purpose flour (for kneading and shaping)