Navarra greets Lesvos in a tasty union over the Neapolitan Bay: Pizza with Chorizo extra, ladotyri cheese and coriander

When it comes to taste there are no geographical boundaries. Only cultural.

The setting for today’s union is provided by the Neapolitan Bay in Calabria. There lies the country that gave pizza to the world.

Today El Bordon’s Chorizo Extra (dulce) from Navarra, Basque Country,  joins ladotyri (sheep and goats cheese) from Lesvigal on the island of Lesvos in Greece to form a pizza dish that is as tasty as it can get.

The ladotyri is a yellow hard cheese made of sheep and goat’s milk on the island of Lesvos (Mytilini). In the traditional way of its preparation, it is stored for a period of three months in olive oil, which gives it its unique taste.  In mass production today the cheese is encased in a layer of parafffin that helps it preserve its moisture level. In spite of this departure from tradition, the cheese tastes really good.

The chorizo is made of pork belly (panceta) and the front leg (paleta), spanish paprika (pimenton), salt and garlic. The encasing is pig’s gut. There are no preservatives or additives. This type of chorizo is not spicy. It is sweet and tasty.

I prepare a basic dough with white flour, salt, water a dash of baking powder and spread it on a oiled baking tray.

On top I spread tomato paste, and place the chorizo and chopped coriander.

The shredded ladotyri is then added to finish the dish.

Bake in a 220 Centigrade oven for 20 minutes and you are ready.

Enjoy with a robust red. I had the Casalferro of 2005, by Barone Ricasoli.

Sangiovese and Merlot aged for 18 months in french oak barrels.

Merry Christmas to all!