Cheese And Margarita: Perfect Pairing For A Flavorful Adventure

There are two types of margaritas that cheese could go well with: the cocktail and the pizza. For the cocktail, a margarita is made with tequila, lime juice, and Cointreau. This pairs well with a Basque-style sheep's milk cheese, such as manchego. For the pizza, a Margherita is made with mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, and basil. This pizza pairs well with other types of cheese, such as fontina, parmesan, and feta.

Mozzarella, tomatoes and basil are the classic toppings for a Margherita pizza

Mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil are the classic toppings for a Margherita pizza. This combination of toppings is said to reflect the colours of the Italian flag. The pizza is named after Italy's Queen Margherita, who was presented with a pizza featuring these toppings by Raffaele Esposito in 1889.

While there are variations, a traditional Margherita pizza is made with fresh mozzarella cheese, also known as mozzarella di bufala or buffalo mozzarella. This is much creamier than processed shredded mozzarella due to being stored in liquid. The pizza also features a generous helping of tomato sauce, made from fresh or San Marzano tomatoes. The sauce can be spiced or blended, but plain tomatoes are also used.

Margherita pizzas are always topped with fresh basil leaves, and may also be drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with salt. The dough is traditionally made with fine 00 flour, which creates a delicate, pillowy base that turns crispy when cooked.

Margherita pizzas are cooked very quickly. In a wood-burning pizza oven, they can be ready in as little as 20 seconds. In a regular oven, they are baked for around six minutes at the highest setting.

A cocktail of the same name pairs well with Bouton de Culotte cheese

While the margarita is usually served with a salt rim, it is recommended to leave off the salt when pairing with Bouton de Culotte. The cocktail itself is best made with a good quality 100% agave blanco tequila, freshly squeezed lime juice, and either agave nectar or syrup. It is also recommended to increase the sweetness slightly if you wish to make a frozen margarita.

Other cheeses that pair well with the margarita include Fourme d'Ambert, Saint-Marcellin, and Palet de Chèvre with a spicy salt rim. Cheeses that do not pair well with the margarita include Mimolette, Brie de Meaux, Ossau-Iraty, Trou du Cru, and Comté.

The pizza is named after Queen Margherita of Italy

Esposito served the queen three pizzas: the mast'nicola (lard, basil, and hard cheese), the marinara (tomato, garlic, small fish, and herbs), and the pizza alla mozzarella (tomato and mozzarella). As he was about to serve the final pizza, his wife, Maria Giovanna Brandi, noticed that the red of the tomato and the white of the mozzarella would be perfectly complemented by a couple of leaves of basil, thus matching the colours of the Italian flag. The queen loved all three pizzas but adored the final one the most, so Esposito dubbed it Pizza Margherita.

A thank-you note, dated 11 June 1889, from Queen Margherita's handlers to Esposito, is said to be on display at the Pizzeria Brandi in Naples. However, the veracity of this note has been contested by historians, who have pointed to several discrepancies, including the placement of the royal stamp, the stationary used, and the handwriting.

It's cooked in a flash, in as little as 20 seconds

If you're making a Margherita pizza, you're in luck—this style of pizza cooks in a flash! If you're lucky enough to have a proper wood-burning pizza oven, your pizza can be ready in as little as 20 seconds. If you're cooking your pizza in a regular oven, it will take a little longer—you'll need to bake it for around six minutes at the oven's highest setting.

The speed at which Margherita pizzas cook is due in part to the type of dough used. Margherita pizzas are traditionally made with fine 00 flour, which creates a delicate dough that turns into a flaky, crispy crust. The thin crust of a Margherita pizza also means that there is less dough to cook through, so it cooks faster.

In addition to the type of dough, the cooking method also plays a role in the quick cooking time. Margherita pizzas are typically cooked in a wood-burning oven, which can reach much higher temperatures than a conventional oven. The intense heat of a wood-burning oven cooks the pizza quickly and evenly, resulting in a crispy crust and perfectly melted cheese.

To get that perfect, quick cook on your Margherita pizza, it's important to follow a few key steps. First, make sure your oven is preheated to the highest temperature before placing your pizza inside. Second, use a baking stone if you have one—this will help to ensure even cooking and a crispy crust. Finally, don't overload your pizza with too many toppings, as this can weigh down the dough and slow down the cooking process.

By following these tips and using the right ingredients and cooking methods, you'll be well on your way to enjoying a perfectly cooked Margherita pizza in no time!

The dough is a Neopolitan crust, which means super thin

A Neapolitan pizza dough is made up of very few ingredients: water, salt, yeast, and flour. The dough is kneaded and shaped into a smooth, round ball before being left to rest and rise. This process gives the dough its characteristic thin, crispy, and chewy texture.

To make the dough, start by mixing the dry ingredients, including the flour, salt, and yeast, in a large bowl. Then, add water and mix until a rough, cohesive dough forms. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise at room temperature for at least 12 hours.

After rising, the dough is divided into smaller balls, which are then placed in covered containers or bags and put in the refrigerator to rise for at least another two days. This extended fermentation period is crucial as it allows the starches to break down, yeast to create flavorful by-products, and gluten formation to occur, resulting in a more elastic dough that can be easily stretched.

When ready to bake, remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it rest at room temperature for about two hours. Then, it's time to shape the dough into a super-thin crust! The dough is placed on a well-floured surface and gently stretched into a circle, taking care not to touch the outermost edge to create a beautiful bubbly crust.

The thin crust is then topped with sauce, cheese, and other desired toppings before being baked in a hot oven until bubbly and charred around the edges.

Frequently asked questions