Though one could do this with canned clams, live clams with their shells make for a much more dramatic presentation. To make 2 pizzas you'll need:
Prep Time: 90 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- About a pound (500 g) pizza dough, divided into 2 pieces
- About a pound (500 g) live clams (see link to instructions on selecting and storing clams if need be)
- About a pound (500 g) ripe plum tomatoes, chopped and drained, or canned tomatoes
- 2 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1/4 cup minced parsley
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
Preparation:
For each pizza:Spread the dough, setting the disks in lightly oiled pizza pans if you're using them, or on your work surface if you're using a pizza stone or wood-fired oven. While disks rise, heat the clams through in a skillet with olive oil, garlic, and thyme until they open, about 5 minutes. Remove the skillet from the fire, and while it's cooling, spread the tomato over the dough. Season with salt and a drizzle of olive oil, and bake the pizzas for 20 minutes in a 450 F (225 C) oven, or for about 4 minutes in a pizza oven. Arrange the clams and their seasoning over the pizzas (discard any clams that did not open at all, because they were already dead and could make you quite sick) and return them for 5 minutes to a conventional oven, or for about 2 to a pizza oven. Serve at once.
As a variation, you could use fresh mussels instead of clams, though you might want to shuck them after you heat them in the skillet.
