Maltese Ftji'ra (Pizza)
(Yields 1 large pizza)
The Maltese Ftji'ra (pronounced 'ftira')
is a Mediterranean style pizza that is an explosion of flavour. Not only is it easy to make, but it incorporates very
simple, colourful ingredients. While
many may not enjoy the taste of anchovies, the salt in the fish adds punch to this
pizza which enhances the different flavours of this dish.
Alcohol Pairings
Beer: Kichesippi Natural Blonde
Wine: VQA Pinot Noir
What you need:
1 store bought fresh pizza dough
2-3 tbsp. flour
3 tomatoes
3 onions
6-8 pitted olives (variety of
colours)
8 anchovy fillets
3 cloves of chopped garlic
1/2 tsp. black ground pepper
1 tbsp. sesame seeds
1 tbsp. chopped fresh basil
1/2 Scotch Bonnet pepper, chopped
4-5 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
How to make it happen:
1. Remove the pizza dough from
the plastic bag and place in a bowl (Note: Cover the bowl with a cloth to allow the dough to continue to rise until
you are ready to prepare the pizza).
2. Preheat the oven to 410
degrees F.
3. Drizzle the pizza pan with
olive oil and heat the pan until the olive oil is warm.
4. Next, cut the tomatoes and
onions into slices and chop the olives into pieces, removing the pits. Set the
toppings aside for later.
5. Place the dough onto a floured
surface and roll with a rolling pin until the dough is
slightly larger than the baking sheet and no thinner than 1/2 an inch in thickness. Do not spread the dough too thinly since it will not be able to carry the weight of the ingredients.
6. Carefully transfer the dough
onto the oiled baking sheet. Ensure the corners
and edges are firmly set in place once the dough is transferred to the baking
sheet. You must work quickly- the dough does not stay in one place. (Note: If
possible, have someone help you transfer the
dough onto the baking sheet- it makes the job easier and more manageable).
7. Once the dough is set in place, spread the sliced tomatoes, onions,
olive pieces and anchovy fillets onto the pizza dough, ensuring the toppings
are evenly distributed. Add the chopped
garlic, peppers and black ground pepper for flavour and spice. Finally, sprinkle
the pizza with fresh basil and sesame seeds and drizzle the top of the pizza
with olive oil.
8. Bake the pizza for 30 minutes
at 410 degrees F, or until the pizza is golden
brown. Ensure the pizza has time to cool before serving.
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