Now, on the other hand, the chicken dish was wonderful. Unexpectedly so. You see, I failed to read the directions and bought boneless skinless chicken breasts instead of bone-in. I was worried that I might lose some flavor since I didn't have bones. But I marinated the chicken as directed for about 8 hours.
Then, since I didn't have a bamboo steamer, I put the chicken in the steamer basket of my big pasta pot. I poured the leftover marinade and the one cup of chicken broth in the bottom, put the lid on, and started steaming. After about 20 minutes I stuck my meat thermometer in the chicken and it needed to cook some more. The other problem was that most of my liquid had escaped and an awful burning smell was emanating from the pot. Uh-oh. I added another cup of chicken broth and kept cooking. This time, though, I turned the heat down to medium. See, when I steam vegetables I just boil the water on high for five or six minutes. No need to worry about burning. But when you are steaming for 20-30 minutes and there are things like hoisin sauce and green onions in your steaming liquid, TURN THE HEAT DOWN!!!!!! Anyway, I pulled the chicken out when it was done and just left the liquid in the pan. I figured it wouldn't make a very good sauce since it had burned. The poached chicken needed something to dress it up, though, so I drizzled some soy sauce on top and brought it to the table. Amazingly, the chicken was moist, tender, and oh-so-flavorful. It got rave reviews from my husband and son. Thankfully, we only ate three of the portions so tonight I'll use the leftover chicken in some homemade fried rice. Yum.
While the sauce is simmering I make the pizza dough. The dough Jamie Oliver makes is great for fried pizzas, not so great for cooking on a pizza stone though. It's kind of tough and chewy when baked. But when fried, it is light and airy. The dough is very simple especially if you have a stand-mixer. Combine 1 heaping teaspoon of yeast (or 1/2 packet) with just over a cup of hot tap water and one teaspoon sugar. Let it sit while you combine 1 and 3/4 cups bread flour, 3/4 cup semolina flour, and 1 heaping teaspoon salt. Add the yeast mixture. Then stir together and let you mixer knead it for 5 minutes. Shape the dough into a ball, cover, and let it rest for 15 minutes. Then divide the dough into about 5-6 portions and roll is out until it is about the size of a salad plate. Stack the dough rounds, using foil or parchment to keep them from sticking to each other. Let rest another 15 minutes.
While the dough is resting, chop another handful of basil and get out your mozzerella. I use the preshredded stuff. Now comes the hard part, frying. I'm not a big frying maniac but the nice thing is that you really don't need tons of oil to fry these. Just about a half an inch in the bottom of your pot will do nicely. I use my small LeCreuset french oven because it keeps a nice even heat. Heat it up to high until it is almost smoking; if it smokes too much turn it down. Gently lower the dough rounds into the oil. I do this by holding one edge, dipping it into the oil, and then laying the rest of it down. Don't plop it in! You'll get oil all over your toes when it flies out. With big tongs, press down on the middle of the dough, otherwise it will bubble up in the middle and not cook. When it had cooked for 30 seconds, flip it over and cook for 15 more seconds. Then take it out and put it on a cookie sheet or rimmed pan. Repeat with the remaining dough rounds.
Now, spoon some tomato sauce on each pizza, sprinkle with cheese and basil, and pop under the broiler for a minute or two. Wa-la! Beautiful, yummy pizza with a delightful crust. Warning: If you make pizza this way, your family will think you are a goddess. 