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annaelizabethrossi
Jun 4, 20122 min read

White Clam Pizza…as seen (and tasted) on MasterChef USA/FOX


AJ and ANNA's famous White Clam Pizza!

ANNA and AJ’s famous White Clam Pizza!


Here she is…   This White Clam Pizza is about to go National!!!  I will be preparing this classic New England Pizza for Gordon Ramsay, Joe Bastianich and Graham Elliot as my Signature Dish on the premiere of MasterChef USA/FOX tonight and tomorrow night, June 4th and 5th at 9pm on FOX.   My hope is to give the guys a (stunning) bite of  AJ’s and my life style….clean and honest.   We like to keep things simple and celebrate the seasonal flavors of New England.  Basically, this is what we would serve you if you were coming over to our home for a summer brunch!  The original inspiration for the White Clam Pizza comes from Pepe’s in New Haven, CT.  AJ and I have made this dish our own over the last 6 years, taking inspiration from clamming at Sandy Point in Connecticut and our window sill herb garden…this pie is far from ordinary and yet another labor of love.   From start to finish, including the dough, this will be ready to serve in under an hour. Hopefully the rustic charm and bright flavors will set me apart from the other 99 Best Home Cooks in America, fingers crossed!   (Spoiler alert: Here’s what the judges had to say!)


Flash bake pizza dough to keep crust crisp and clams tender


TOPPINGS:

Makes 1x 10″ pizza

  1. 2-3 dozen littleneck clams, raw, shucked

  2. 3 Tbs EVOO

  3. 2 cloves minced garlic

  4. 1 tsp lemon zest

  5. 2 Tbs equal parts fresh oregano, thyme, parsley minced

  6. 2 Tbs Parmigiano Reggiano, grated

  7. Juice from 1/2 lemon, 2 Tbs EVOO for garnish

PREPARATION:

  1. Prepare Mom’s 35 Minute Pizza Dough

  2. Preheat oven and pizza stone to 500F

  3. Shuck clams, rinsing shell thoroughly before you open.  Reserve clam meat and juice in a bowl.  Use kitchen shears to coarsely chop meat.  I like pieces to be about the size of a nickel.


Shucked and Chopped Falmouth Cherrystones


  1. Combine olive oil, garlic and lemon zest in small pot.  Bring to a soft simmer and immediately shut off and remove from heat.

  2. Flash bake 10″ dough 3-4 minutes, flip once for remaining minute.

  3. Baste flash baked dough with garlic and lemon zest infused olive oil

  4. Generously top with juicy chopped clam meat (you will have a lot of juice left over, save for another recipe)


  1. Sprinkle with oregano and parmigiano


  1. Bake approx 2-3 minuted until cheese has slightly melted and edges begin to softly brown.  Do not over cook as clams will become dry and chewy.

  2. Pull from oven, and garnish with fresh squeezed lemon juice and drizzle lightly with EVOO.

  3. Slice and serve.


Ready for the oven


Not sure you love clams?  This will make a lovah out of you yet!

*This recipe has been modified slightly from the original version.  MasterChef/FOX reserves the official rights.

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