Lamb belly, ricotta and Mediterranean herbs
This pizza has become somewhat of a Pizzaperta signature. We put it on the menu when lamb is at its best, approaching spring and early summer. It can be done exactly the same way using kid goat or pork belly. A typical lamb belly will weigh between 600–800 g (1 lb 5 oz–1 lb 12 oz). It will shrink slightly once cooked, but if you choose two bellies within these weight parameters, there should be enough to make six or more pizze.
250 g (9 oz) ball of basic pizza dough, shaped
80 g (3 oz/1/3 cup) ricotta cheese
40 g (1½ oz/½ cup) grated parmesan
100 g (3½ oz) fior di latte mozzarella
1 tablespoon Mediterranean herbs – rosemary, sage, thyme, oregano and marjoram, finely chopped
SLOW-COOKED LAMB BELLY
1.2 kg (2 lb 10 oz) lamb belly, trimmed of any excess fat
1 carrot, in 1 cm (½ inch) rounds
1 celery stalk, in 1 cm (½ inch) slices
2 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole
1 small onion, chopped
2 bay leaves
8 peppercorns
1–2 litres (35–70 fl oz/4–8 cups) lamb or chicken stock
FOR THE SLOW-COOKED LAMB BELLY / Preheat the oven to 140°C (275°F). Place the lamb bellies side by side, not overlapping, in an oven dish. Place all the vegetables, bay leaves and peppercorns around. Pour in the stock and make sure the meat is covered by at least 1 cm (½ inch) of liquid, increasing the quantity if necessary. Cover the dish tightly with foil and place in the oven for 4 hours. After this time, pierce the meat with a skewer – if it pierces easily, it is done. If not, leave it in longer. Once cooked, remove the meat from the liquid and let it cool. (You can reuse the liquid for stock, by draining the vegetables, skimming off the fat, and refrigerating or freezing.) Place the cool lamb belly on a dish and place a weight on top to keep its thickness uniform. Refrigerate overnight. Any left-over lamb belly will keep for up to 5 days, refrigerated.
TO ASSEMBLE / Place a large tile in your oven for the pizza, then preheat at full heat (without using any fan-forced function) for at least 20 minutes (see here). Cut about a sixth of the lamb into 12 thin rectangles. Mix the ricotta and parmesan together and place in a piping bag. Thinly slice the mozzarella and scatter to top the pizza base, leaving the edges clear to 3–4 cm (1½ inches). Place the tomato fillets across the top. Distribute the lamb pieces over the pizza and season. Place the pizza into the oven for 3–5 minutes until cooked, turning to get an even colour. Once out of the oven, pipe blobs of the ricotta and parmesan mixture over the cooked pizza and sprinkle with the chopped herbs.
Makes one 30 cm (12 inch) pizza