Aria fritta actually means “fried air”. That is what chef Peppe Guida referred to as the deep fried pizza that he served as an appetizer at his agriturismo Villa Rosa (examine my go to right here). It’s also merely referred to as pizza fritta.
Whenever you chunk into the deep fried pizza, you’ll be able to see why fried air is an efficient identify for this.
As a joke he served the pizza with the topping on the plate beneath, so that you needed to choose up the pizza to find the topping. You have been then to interrupt the pizza into items together with your arms, and use the deep fried pizza to mop up the topping. I appreciated this very a lot and recreated this at residence. You might additionally place the toppings on the pizza after deep frying the dough, however that is extra enjoyable.
As you’ll be able to think about, deep fried pizza is kind of filling, so for one individual I take advantage of solely half of the quantity of pizza dough as for an everyday pizza. That is consolation meals at its finest.
Substances
Makes 4 servings
For the pizza dough
- 100 + 175 grams robust bread flour
- 100 + 106 grams water at room temperature
- 1/8 + 1/2 tsp dried instantaneous yeast
- 5.5 grams salt
- 1/2 tsp further virgin olive oil
For the tomato sauce
- 1 kilo (2.2 lbs) plum tomatoes, or 1 can (400 grams/14 oz) peeled tomatoes
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 clove garlic
- salt and freshly floor black pepper
To complete the dish
- 250 grams (.55 lb) buffalo mozzarella
- salt
- recent basil
- 3 litres of vegetable oil for deep frying (Italians would use refined olive oil, not further virgin)
Directions
For one of the best taste, begin by making the pre-ferment the night time earlier than. Put together the pizza dough based on my directions. Divide the dough into 4 parts of about 120 grams every, and permit them to proof in particular person bowls, coated with plastic wrap.
Break up the mozzarella together with your arms, place on a clear kitchen towel on a wire rack, and sprinkle frivolously with salt on each side. Cowl with one other kitchen towel, and refrigerate for a number of hours or in a single day. This is a vital step when utilizing mozzarella for pizza, as a result of it attracts out the liquid and avoids soupy pizza. I had about 160 grams of mozzarella left from the unique 250 grams after this step — all that water would in any other case have come out of the mozzarella when it melted.
To make the tomato sauce from recent tomatoes, preheat the broiler, reduce the tomatoes into quarters, take away the seeds, and organize the tomatoes, pores and skin facet down, on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil in a single layer.
Broil the tomatoes on the place closest to the component till barely charred, about 5 to 10 minutes.
Now you can simply separate the tomato flesh from the pores and skin with a tablespoon. Discard the skins.
Place the tomato flesh in a blender…
…and mix till easy.
If utilizing canned peeled tomatoes, you’ll be able to merely puree the canned tomatoes with the blender. Recent tomatoes are extra work, however will lead to a extra vibrant taste.
Warmth two tablespoons of olive oil in a frying pan. Peel and slice the garlic, and deep fry the garlic within the olive oil by tilting the pan. Take away the garlic as quickly as it’s golden brown. If you happen to permit it to get too darkish, the sauce will find yourself bitter.
Add the pureed tomatoes to the garlic-infused olive oil and stir. Season with salt and freshly floor black pepper.
Simmer the tomato sauce over medium warmth, stirring recurrently, till it’s now not watery. It shouldn’t be too thick, as it can thicken some extra within the oven. When the sauce is completed, style and alter the seasoning with salt and freshly floor black pepper.
Fill a wok with 3 litres of vegetable oil and warmth the oil to 180C/350F.
Use oven proof plates for serving. Place 1 / 4 of the tomato sauce within the middle of every plate, and unfold it out right into a circle of 10-15 cm (4-6 inches) with the again of a tablespoon. Organize items of mozzarella on prime.
Bake the plates with the tomato sauce and mozzarella within the oven at 200C/400F (fan compelled) till the cheese has melted and is getting barely golden brown, 10 to fifteen minutes.
Whereas the tomato sauce and mozzarella are baking, fry the pizzas. Mud the work floor and your arms with flour. Take a chunk of pizza dough out of its bowl and flatten and stretch it together with your arms right into a circle of about 15 cm (6 inches) in diameter. Flatten it gently, as you wish to maintain as a lot air in as doable. It’s not referred to as “fried air” for nothing!
Fastidiously decrease the pizza dough into the new oil.
Deep fry the pizza dough, pushing all the way down to submerge it, and turning it as wanted with a strainer.
Fry just one pizza on the time. It solely takes a few minutes. Attempt to drain the pizza of oil as a lot as doable while you take it out of the oil, and permit it to chill of and drain on paper towels.
Pat the deep fried pizza with paper towels, then place on prime of the ready plates, thus hiding the toppings. Serve directly.
Wine pairing
That is good with a dry rosé. A Prosecco or different glowing wine would even be nice.
