White Clam Pizza

Place the 16-inch cordierite pizza stone on the middle rack of your oven, then preheat the oven to 500°F (260°C) for a full 45 minutes before baking. A fully preheated stone is critical for a crispy, slightly charred crust that does not stick; avoid opening the oven unnecessarily during preheat to maintain temperature.

Set the small stainless steel colander of scrubbed littleneck clams on the left side of the maple cutting board. Hold each clam firmly wrapped in a corner of the linen towel to protect your hand, insert the 8-inch chef knife between the shell halves, twist to pop the shell open, and slide the knife under the clam meat to release it. Collect shucked clams and their natural briny juice in the medium stainless steel mixing bowl, discarding any clams that remain open when tapped (these are unsafe to eat). Let the collected juice settle for 2 minutes, then pour off the top clear juice, discarding any grit that sinks to the bottom.

Place the 8-inch polished stainless steel skillet on the stovetop zone at the back left of the counter over low heat. Pour in 2 tablespoons of the extra-virgin olive oil, add thinly sliced garlic, dried oregano, and 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until garlic is pale golden and nutty smelling—do not let it turn dark brown, as it will turn bitter. Stir in the reserved clear clam juice and 1 tsp fresh lemon juice, then remove the skillet from heat and let cool 5 minutes.

Dust the 14-inch perforated aluminum pizza peel evenly with 1 tablespoon of semolina flour to prevent sticking. Place the 350g room-temperature rested pizza dough in the center of the peel, and use your fingertips to press it outward from the center into a rough 14-inch round, leaving a 1-inch thicker border for the crust. Do not use a rolling pin, as this presses out air bubbles needed for a light, chewy crust. The finished stretched dough will be slightly irregular in shape, with small visible air dimples across its surface.

Use the small boar-bristle pastry brush to spread the cooled garlic-oil mixture evenly across the stretched dough, leaving the 1-inch crust border completely bare. Sprinkle half of the freshly grated pecorino Romano evenly over the oiled surface, distributing it all the way to the edge of the topping area. Avoid overloading the base with cheese, as this is a light, briny pie rather than a heavy cheese pizza.

Distribute the shucked clam meat evenly across the oiled, cheese-dusted pizza surface, tucking pieces slightly into the oil layer to keep them from sliding off during baking. Sprinkle the remaining half of the grated pecorino over the clams, and add a tiny pinch of kosher salt (go light—clams and pecorino are already high in sodium). Give the pizza peel a gentle back-and-forth shake to confirm the pizza slides freely and is not stuck anywhere.

Carefully tilt the pizza peel at a 45-degree angle to slide the pizza directly onto the preheated pizza stone in the 500°F oven. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the crust is puffed and deep golden with dark, slightly charred blisters along the edge, and the oil is bubbling gently across the topping surface. Do not open the oven door for the first 8 minutes of baking, as this will drop the oven temperature too quickly and lead to a soggy crust.

Use the pizza peel to carefully pull the finished hot pizza out of the oven, transferring it to the maple cutting board. Drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil, sprinkle evenly with chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, and add a light extra grating of pecorino if desired. Let the pizza rest for 2 minutes to set the toppings, then slice into 8 even pieces with the stainless steel pizza cutter. Serve immediately on the matte cream dinner plates, with extra red pepper flakes in the small glass ramekin on the side.