Let’s forget I am gluten-free for a second and talk about how amazing NJ & NY pizza is. Big, thin slices that you fold in half lengthwise and the orange grease drips down your arms to your elbows. Just plain, old-school cheese pizza is my favorite. I miss eating this pizza so much it breaks my heart and sucks.
I know other people think the pizza at their local pizzeria is the best. Some like thick pizza, Chicago-Style pizza, others with pineapple and ham which is fine with me to each his own…but in my opinion, old-school NJ & NY pizza is the kick-ass pizza of all time. Hey, it’s my blog so I can say it with a complete and utter passion. I am going to go even further in my Jersey accent and say you can only get “real” pizza in NJ & NY. The whole country has NY style pizza, but it is not the same thing. Capese?
However…A few years ago we went to CT for two days and all we heard about was Frank Pepe’s New Haven signiture white clam pizza. Our son Noah lived in CT for a couple of years and went to Frank Pepe’s Pizzeria the original home of New Haven white clam pizza and raved about it. Frank Pepe’s opened in 1925 and uses a coal-fired brick oven for his signiture crust.
Sadly, when we were in New Haven, CT we couldn’t find a gluten-free version to try so like everything else, I had to make my own. Guess what? They were right about New Haven-Style pizza…it’s fucking delicious!
The ingredients for the topping are the same as my white clam sauce for linguini: clams, olive oil, garlic, oregano, kosher salt & pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, Italian parsley, fresh lemon zest, and lemon juice.
Now I know that at Frank Pepe’s they are adamant about using freshly shucked clams. If fresh clams are not available, they do not serve white clam pizza. Period. Bravo. Hats off chef!
Here in VT I am forced to use canned clams since we aren’t on the coast but in a land locked state where fresh clams aren’t always available. For this reason, I keep a few cans of minced clams in my pantry for white clam sauce, baked stuffed clams or New England clam chowder. Are they as good as the real deal? Hell know, but where I live it’s hard to be a food snob when it comes to fresh, specialty ingredients.
Here is a link to a New Haven-Style white clam pizza recipe in case anyone is interested in making one.
I am sure that my CT friends are doing backflips that their beloved New Haven pizza got some well deserved recognition. It truly is a delicious, gourmet, specialty, pizza that belongs in its own category.
Nowadays, there are as many different toppings for specialty pizzas as there are for pasta and sandwiches. All good…but still not that drool worthy NJ cheese tomato pie I crave so badly.