Thursday, December 4, 2014

Easy Pull-Apart Pepperoni Garlic Knots

J. Kenji Lopez-Alt has been one of my favorite food writers for some time now, and I finally got around to making one of his recipes for a family dinner.  One of my family members is not very adventurous when it comes to new food but she ate half of the garlic knots.  I'd consider it a success.

I can't even tell you how many hours I've spent reading Food Lab articles.  Let's just say it was worth it for this recipe.

Easy Pull-Apart Pepperoni Garlic Knots

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  • 4 ounces pepperoni, cut into 1/4-inch squares
  • Pinch red pepper flakes
  • 6 medium cloves garlic, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh chives (optional)
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for sprinkling
  • Flour for dusting
  • 1 pound homemade or store-bought pizza dough (see note above)
  • 1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
  • Homemade or store-bought pizza sauce for serving

Procedures

  1. 1
    Heat butter and oil in a 10-inch cast iron skillet over medium heat until butter melts and foaming subsides. Add pepperoni and cook, stirring, until pepperoni begins to crisp, about 2 minutes. Add pepper flakes and garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add parsley and chives and stir to combine. Transfer mixture to a large bowl and stir in Parmesan cheese. Do not wipe out skillet.
  2. 2
    On a lightly floured surface, divide dough into two even pieces. Working one piece at a time, roll or stretch into an oblong about 8 inches long and 4 inches wide. With a bench scraper or knife, cut crosswise into 12 strips. Repeat with other half of dough.
  3. 3
    Tie each strip into a knot and transfer to bowl with pepperoni/garlic mixture. Toss and fold with your hands until every knot is thoroughly coated in mixture. Transfer the knots to the skillet in a single layer. Drizzle with more olive oil, cover tightly with plastic, and set aside until doubled in size, about 4 hours. Alternatively, refrigerate until doubled in size, 12 to 16 hours.
  4. 4
    When ready to bake, preheat oven to 425°F and adjust oven rack to center position. Unwrap garlic knots. Sprinkle with Romano cheese. Transfer to oven and bake until golden brown and crisp, 25 to 30 minutes.
  5. 5
    Remove from oven and immediately brush with more extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkle lightly with more Parmesan. Serve right away with warmed sauce on the side.

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