New Guardian Food show FEED with Jimi Famurewa travels the UK in search of food trends. This is his lighter take on the new wave of British-American pizza
Vodka sauce is a hallmark of both Italian-American cooking and the new wave of UK slice shops. It sounds like a buzzword that won’t add much but, like a bay leaf or dab of miso, it’s a really effective flavour booster – offering a steely, detectable dryness that cuts through the tang of the pizza sauce.
The topping is based on an unusual pizza from east London’s Dough Hands and it really works; the burst of brine from the capers proving revelatory against the creamy richness of Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference mozzarella di bufala Campana. The yoghurt flatbread is a great swap for a traditional pizza base: make sure to roll the dough nice and thin for a crisp finish and, as all the best pizza shops now do, drizzle oil on your crusts.
400g Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Italian pomodorini cherry tomatoes in rich tomato juice
2 cloves Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference smoked garlic, peeled and finely chopped4 tsp red chilli paste
1 tsp oregano
4 tbsp vodka
100ml double cream
1 tbsp olive oil
2 x 160g Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference albacore tuna steak in extra virgin olive oil, drained2 tbsp capers
2 red onions, finely sliced2 x 125g Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference mozzarella di bufala Campana, drainedHandful basil leaves
For the base400g Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference authentic Greek yoghurt
400g self-raising flour
1 tsp olive oil
First make your vodka sauce. Add the cherry tomatoes to a saucepan with the garlic, oregano and 2 teaspoons of the red chilli paste. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Heat over medium heat, with a lid, for 10 minutes or until the tomatoes have broken down and the sauce is thickened. Add the vodka, stir and cook for 2 minutes to let the alcohol burn off before stirring in the cream. Remove from the heat to cool.
In a large bowl, stir together the Greek yoghurt and flour with 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Bring together into a dough and knead for 2-3 minutes or until smooth then set aside, covered.
Once your sauce is almost done, heat the oven to 220C (200C fan)/425F/gas 7 and put two large flat baking trays in to heat up.
Divide the dough into four balls and on a floured surface, roll each into a circle – about 20cm diameter. Take the trays from the oven and drizzle with olive oil. Carefully put 2 pizzettes on each one and bake for 5-6 minutes or until they puff up and start to brown. Remove from the oven and flip over.
Divide the sauce between the pizzettes. Top with the tuna, capers and red onion and the remaining red chilli paste. Tear over the mozzarella and put into the oven for another 8-10 minutes or until golden, bubbling and crispy.
Before serving, drizzle a little bit of olive oil around the crust. Top with basil leaves.
Shop the full range of Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference ingredients
Watch the full episode of FEED with Jimi Famurewa on YouTube and the Guardian
