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Scallop Pizza
with Leeks and Fennel Seed
Makes Two 12-Inch Pizzas
Ingredients
*2 cups heavy cream
*1/2 cup white wine
*Salt and pepper to taste
*1 tablespoon olive oil + a little extra virgin olive oil to dress the arugula
*3 large leeks, white part only, sliced and washed
*1/2 teaspoon fennel seed
*1/2 teaspoon non-flavored, whole-grain mustard
*6 scallions, bottoms trimmed, cleaned and roughly chopped
*2 teaspoons garlic, peeled, smashed and finely chopped
*10 large dry sea scallops, muscles removed
*1 recipe of Meniche or Manaaeesh Dough (Flatbread with Za'atar) or store bought dough
*About 1 cup flour for dusting the dough as you are rolling it out
*1 large bunch of arugula
*Squeeze of fresh lemon or 1 teaspoon sherry vinegar
Instructions
1Preheat oven to 400F degrees.
2In a large (2 to 4 quart) heavy saucepot, bring the cream and wine to a boil on high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for about 15 minutes, until the cream has reduced by one-third and is thick. Season the cream with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.
3Meanwhile, in a large saute pan on medium-high heat, add the olive oil and saute the leeks and fennel seed until the leeks are tender and soft, about 8 minutes. Be careful not to brown the leeks or they will become bitter. Season the leeks with salt and pepper to taste.
4Stir the leek mixture into the heavy cream and add mustard, scallions and garlic.
5Turn a scallop on its side and split it down the middle so that you have 2 thin discs. Repeat with the remaining scallops so you have 20 pieces.
6Divide the pizza dough into 2 and roll each half into rounds as thin as possible, dusting with a little flour as you go. Make sure the dough is room temperature and not cold.
7Place each round on a pizza stone or heavy baking sheet.
8Spoon half the leek mixture onto each shell and spread it as evenly as possible over the dough in a thin layer. It should be very thin, as it is very rich, like butter.
9Arrange 10 scallop slices on each shell and then season them with salt and pepper to taste.
10Place the pizzas in the oven and bake for about 15 minutes, until the edges are crisp and browned and the top is bubbly.
11Slice and serve hot with plenty of arugula, lightly dressed with lemon and extra virgin olive oil.
Notes
  • This recipe was very popular when I cooked at the Casablanca in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The sweet fennel pairs well with the scallops. The cream melts into the pizza dough as it cooks and makes the crust extra crispy. It's best when the pizza dough is homemade, but a fresh store-bought dough can work as well.
  • Serve this pizza with a rich white wine, such as a Sauvignon Blanc or French Chardonnay.
    • Source
    Chef/Owner Ana Sortun, Oleana Restaurant, Cambridge, MA from her book Spice Flavors of the Eastern Mediterranean, Reagan Books/Harper Collins, 2006