Da Orazio's head chef shares his favourite pizza topping recipe

We spoke to the head chef of Bondi's Da Orazio, Matteo Ernandes as he shared with us his personal favourite Pizza topping recipe.

Ernandes is best known for his contemporary pizza recipe which is lighter and easier to digest. Head to Da Orazio to try the famous pizza, or follow Ernandes' recipe below to make it at home!

Topping pizza “Melanzana”

Ingredients:

- Eggplant

- Smoked fior di latte

- Dehydrated cherry tomato

- Stracciatella

- Parmigiano chips

- Fresh Basil

Method and Preparation:

1) Eggplant purée: To create the eggplant purée that has a smoked taste, I decide to put the eggplant straight on the fire of the stove. Let the skin burn till the whole eggplant soften up (15/20 min medium flame) and then let it cool down in a colander.

Once the eggplant cools down, get rid of the burnt skin and put the inside of the eggplant into a blender.

Add some salt, black pepper, EVO and some fresh basil. Blend it all for 5/6 min for a perfect smooth eggplant purée .

2) Dehydrated cherry tomatoes: Get and handful of cherry tomatoes, cut in half, place on a tray with some thyme and icing sugar and let them dehydrate for 10/18h at 60 degrees.

3) Smoked cheese: Dice some good smoked fior di latte or smoked provola, I will suggest 30/40 g for one pizza of 32 diameter.

4) Parmigiano chips: Pre heat a medium/small pan and cover it with some grated parmigiano, drop the flame and wait for the parmigiano to melt together (3/4min medium flame). Take off the fire and let it cool down before taking it out of the pan. Wait 2 minutes for the parmigiano cooling down and crunching up .

5) Basil: pick some fresh basil leaves.

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Stretch your dough ball, get two full table spoon of the eggplant purée and spread it on top of the pizza base, add the smoked cheese some grated parmigiano and put it in the oven .

Once the pizza base is cooked place it on a plate, cut it and start adding the dehydrated cherry tomatoes, some stracciatella the parmigiano chips and at the end, some fresh basil leaves.

Ciao!