Yotam Ottolenghi and Noor Murad of The Ottolenghi Take a look at Kitchen (OTK), got here up with this baked polenta dish that’s coated in creamy béchamel, feta, oregano and za’atar tomatoes, for his or her newest cookbook, Extra Good Things. For the uninitiated, North London-based OTK, was based by Yotam, a New York Occasions best-selling cookbook writer, weekly columnist for The Guardian and proprietor of a number of eating places.
This dish is wealthy in taste and low in gluten, making it a tasty different for many who can’t abdomen conventional pies. Not everyone agrees on that distinction, nonetheless, “It’s not a pizza,” insisted Noor, the Bahraini-born chef and lead member of OTK, when speaking with colleagues about this dish.
Whereas we agree with Noor, we additionally perceive the impulse to name it a pizza — it’s coated in luxurious toppings, comes out of the oven with a crackly edge and has a delightfully tacky center. The pizza went via a number of names at OTK, like polenta-pizza, polizza and polenta not-a-pizza. No matter you need to name it, it’s full of natural taste from beneficiant sprinklings of oregano and za’atar(a Center Japanese spice combination that features thyme, marjoram, sumac and toasted sesame seeds). It additionally makes use of a béchamel that begins with a roux, which requires a little bit of flour. To make this pie absolutely gluten-free, swap gluten-free flour for all-purpose flour. The oldsters at OTK wish to make their za’atar-baked tomatoes with the datterini selection — small Italian fruits whose title means “little dates” on account of their sweetness — however cherry tomatoes work simply as nicely. We love how shortly these cook dinner in an Ooni, going from uncooked to juicy and bursting in underneath 5 minutes, as in comparison with 45 minutes in a traditional oven.
To maintain this recipe pretty straightforward, it requires quick-cook polenta, so be sure to test the label. Whereas utilizing common polenta received’t break your meal, it is going to add an extra half-hour to your cook dinner time.
When utilizing an Ooni, remember that this recipe works greatest in a 16-inch gas-powered oven like Ooni Karu 16 or Ooni Koda 16. For those who’d like to make use of a 12-inch oven, you’ll be able to halve the polenta or make two batches on quarter-sheet pans. For those who’re utilizing a wood-powered oven, make sure you hold an in depth eye on the hearth to keep up the temperature, so the polenta doesn’t burn.
Time
quarter-hour lively
1 hour half-hour passive
1 hour, 45 minutes whole
Yield
Serves 4 to six
Tools
Ooni Pizza Oven
Baking dish
Baking sheet
Parchment paper
Saucepan
Ooni Pizza Cutter Wheel
Substances
For the za’atar tomatoes:
14 ounces (400 grams) datterini or cherry tomatoes
½ cup (120 milliliters) olive oil
1½ tablespoon (15 milliliters) balsamic vinegar
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
½ teaspoon (3 grams) salt
Black pepper, beneficiant grind
2 teaspoons (8 grams) za’atar
½ teaspoons (3 grams) sugar
¼ cup (5 grams) parsley, roughly chopped
¼ cup (5 grams) oregano leaves, roughly chopped
For the béchamel:
3 tablespoons (40 grams) unsalted butter
6 tablespoons (50 grams) all-purpose flour (or gluten-free flour)
1 ½ cups (360 milliliters) entire milk
4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
½ teaspoon (3 grams) salt
Pepper, to style
For the baked polenta:
1 ⅓ cups (400 milliliters) milk
1 ¼ cups (300 milliliters) water
3 tablespoons (40 grams) unsalted butter
1 ¼ teaspoons (7 grams) of salt
Grind of pepper
1 ¼ cups (200 grams) quick-cook polenta
2 ⅓ ounces (65 grams) pecorino romano, roughly grated (⅔ cup)
For meeting:
6 ⅓ ounces (180 grams) feta, roughly crumbled
¼ ounces (5 grams) oregano sprigs (attempt to use the softer sprigs)
Technique
Preheat your Ooni oven to 550-600°F (290-315°C).
To make the za’atar tomatoes, put the tomatoes, oil, vinegar, garlic, ½ teaspoon (3 grams) of salt and a beneficiant grind of pepper right into a forged iron skillet. Place it in your Ooni and bake for two minutes, then rotate 180°. Bake for one more 2 minutes or till the tomatoes have simply burst, however aren’t utterly falling aside.
Take the baking dish out of the oven. Gently stir within the za’atar and sugar and let cool utterly. As soon as cool, gently stir within the parsley and oregano, in order to not break up the tomatoes.
Warmth your Ooni oven as much as roughly 500°F (260°C), utilizing an infrared thermometer to test the temperature of the stone. To make the béchamel, place the three tablespoons of butter (40 grams) right into a medium saucepan and warmth on medium-high. As soon as melted, add the flour and cook dinner, whisking constantly for 30 seconds or till it smells like popcorn.
Slowly pour in 1 ½ cups (360 milliliters) of milk, whisking constantly to keep away from any lumps, then add the garlic, ½ teaspoon of salt and loads of pepper. Flip the warmth all the way down to medium and cook dinner for five minutes, stirring typically till it turns into thick and not floury tasting.
Take away from warmth and canopy the saucepan with a chunk of parchment paper to stop pores and skin from forming, put aside.
Subsequent, put together the polenta by including the remaining 1 ⅓ cups (400 milliliters) of milk, water, 3 tablespoons (40 grams) of butter, 1¼ teaspoons (7 grams) of salt and an excellent grind of pepper to a medium saucepan and warmth on medium-high.
As soon as the combination begins gently effervescent, scale back warmth to medium-low. Slowly add the polenta, whisking constantly to include and cook dinner for two minutes to thicken.
Add the pecorino and the remaining 1½ tablespoons (14 grams) of butter and stir with a spatula till integrated.
Shortly switch the polenta to the baking sheet and unfold into a big rectangular form, about ½ inch (1 centimeter) thick and 15 inches (38 centimeters) lengthy.
Spoon the béchamel excessive and unfold it to cowl the whole floor, leaving a ½ inch (1½ centimeter) rim uncovered across the edges. Prime evenly with feta and oregano sprigs.
Place the baking sheet within the oven and switch off the flame. Bake for five minutes, then rotate the pan 180° then flip the flame again on. Bake for one more 5 minutes. Rotate the pan once more and bake for one more 2 to five minutes, or till golden and effervescent on high, and beginning to brown across the edges. Let cool for five to 10 minutes.
Tip: When the flame is on, watch to make sure that the feta and bechamel don’t burn. In case your edges begin to look somewhat crispy or burnt, lower the flame for a couple of minutes. If cooking with wooden, open the door.
Spoon half of the za’atar tomatoes on high of the baked polenta, and serve the remaining in a bowl with the meal. Use a pizza cutter to simply lower the polenta into slabs and serve heat.
Tip: Preserve the remainder of the tomatoes in a sealed container within the fridge for as much as 1 week. Attempt them on bruschetta or as a sauce for pasta.
