New Haven Style Clam Pizza.
I made the dough the day before and left it to rest wrapped up in the fridge overnight.
Mid afternoon, I measured out about 13 oz for the dough and formed it into a pie. This takes about 4 or 5 sessions, allowing the dough to warm up and relax for about 20 minutes between sessions. Here it is about half way through not quite thin enough, but on its way to be.
I have found that about 3 lbs. of clams (unshucked, and still in the shell) is just about right for a 13" pizza (about the biggest I can fit on my pizza peel).
I learned to shuck clams at a fish market and am convinced that I learned the right way. Keep in mind that if my right hand were not holding the camera for this pic, it would simply be holding the clam knife.
Notice that the clam has a sharp curve on one side and a gentle curve on the other. I was taught to place the clam knife in the slot between both shells, on the "short side" of the clam, the side where the curve is sharpest. The only force that is applied is with the fingers of your left hand, pulling the knife into the clam, not by holding the clam in your left hand and forcing the clam knife into the clam with your right hand, which is a sure fire method of cutting yourself.
Three pounds of littleneck clams will yield about 13 ounces of clams, from which I drain the liquor and simmer to reduce, then add back to the clams.
I chop a whole bulb of peeled garlic, add an equal amount of good olive oil, a TBS of dried basil leaves, mix this all together and brush it on to the pie, which is now on the peel that was sprinkled liberally with corn meal "ball bearings" to assure it slides quickly and easily onto the hot steel in the oven. Distribute the chopped clams over the pizza and top with a liberal amount of freshly grated parmesan cheese
This gets baked in a preheated oven on the hottest setting you have (my oven tops out at 475 F). Mine takes between 14 and 18 minutes depending on the toppings.
HC
