Both of my parents are from New York, yet they raised us kids in Massachusetts. Sinister, I know. Aside from being forced to root for the Yankees, I have endured a lifetime of nostalgic monologuing from both sides on how New York's finest culinary contributions (hard rolls, deli sandwiches, and pizza) have not, and evidently never will, cross the border into Massachusetts. As much as I want to tell them they are crazy, I have to admit... the pizza and hard rolls are hard to beat. I came up with this recipe for my mum, who loves Nantucket bay scallops and also, pizza (see above). It's incredibly simple, and that's the magic of it. No extra ingredients, and therefore, no substitutes; Just five flavors in perfect balance. Judgement day is every day when you've got New Yorkers for parents, but thankfully, every time I make it for her, the briney perfection of the scallops married with creamy fontina and sliced onions take the spotlight – and my less-than-authentic New York pizza crust goes happily unnoticed.
Ingredients
- 1 pound homemade or store-bought pizza dough, divided in two and rolled into balls
- 1 pound Nantucket bay scallops, muscle removed (sliced horizontally if smaller pieces are desired)
- 12 ounces red wax fontina cheese, shredded (tip: freezing the cheese for 30 minutes beforehand makes it easier to grate)
- ½ large Vidalia onion, julienned very thinly on a mandolin
- Flour and cornmeal for handling dough
- Homemade or store-bought pizza sauce
- Olive oil, kosher salt, cracked black pepper
Preparation
Preheat oven to the hottest setting (500-550°F).
Preheat a pizza stone (if using) on the highest rack in the oven.
Sprinkle a pizza peel (or a large sheet pan) generously with cornmeal.
On a floured surface, shape your dough into an 8-inch circle with floured hands, stretching it thin. If you want to show off some pizza parlor tricks, now is the time.
Place the stretched dough onto the cornmeal-covered peel. Keep the edges stretched out to maintain the shape.
Spread pizza sauce thinly and evenly using a large spoon, going all the way to the edges.
Sprinkle fontina cheese lightly, extending it to the edge.
Add onions and scallops evenly but don’t overload.
Now is a good time to check that the pizza will still slide off the peel. To do it, simply take the handle of the peel and give the pizza a shake. It should slide freely on the peel.
Finish topping the pizza with more fontina until scallops and onions are lightly covered.
Sprinkle with salt and cracked black pepper, and drizzle high-quality olive oil.
When you’re ready to bake, make sure the pizza is still sliding easily on the peel.
Open the oven (watch your eyes, it’s ideally 500 degrees in there) and working quickly, slide the pizza onto the pizza stone and close it up. Watch the magic unfold with the oven light on. It should be ready in under 6 minutes when everything’s bubbling and golden brown. Carefully transfer onto a cutting board using tongs, cut, and serve. Enjoy!
Makes 2 12-inch pizzas
