Viking Cruises

24 | iet Season Mediterranean Guide e very basic Pizza Margherita, named for the Queen Consort Margherita. Extra delicious when baked in a brick pizza oven as we do on board our ships, but regular ovens are just fine. Some even choose to make pizzas in a skillet! For the pizza bases: 7g sachet dried yeast 2 tsp salt 325ml lukewarm water 500g strong white bread flour Drizzle olive oil For the tomato sauce: Drizzle olive oil 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed 400g tomato passata Salt and pepper Fresh basil leaves, chopped Suggested toppings (for 1 pizza): Mozzarella, torn into small chunks Parmesan, shaved or grated Black pepper Fresh basil leaves, torn Drizzle extra virgin olive oil 1. Add the yeast and salt to the water and stir until dissolved. Pour this, along with the flour and oil, in to the bowl of a food processor and mix using a dough hook – first at the highest speed for 5 minutes and then at a medium speed for 8 minutes, until the dough is smooth. 2. Divide the dough into 4 roughly equal portions, pat into balls, place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and leave for about 45 minutes until the dough has doubled in size. 3. On a floured surface, roll out each dough ball until the dough is about 0.5cm thick. Stack between oiled layers of aluminum foil, cover in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes. 4. To make the sauce, add the olive oil to a saucepan and gently cook the garlic over a medium heat until it just begins to colour. Add the passata, stir and simmer for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste, stir in the fresh basil leaves, then take off the heat and set aside. 5. To assemble your pizza, transfer one pizza base to a lightly oiled baking sheet ready for topping. Using a tablespoon or small ladle, spread a layer of sauce on to the pizza base, making sure the sauce reaches the edge of the dough. 6. For the classic Margherita, place the mozzarella chunks evenly over the base. Scatter over the Parmesan, add a pinch of pepper and the basil leaves and finally drizzle a modest amount of extra virgin olive oil over the whole pizza. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes at 250°C until golden and serve. S E R V E S 4 S E R V I N G S Mediterranean Cuisine PIZZA MARGHERITA

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