The stretched out dough prepares itself to be smothered with tangy tomato puree. Next, generous toppings of freshly plucked basil, roasted garlic and Parmesan cheese make their way to the top. Drizzling of extra virgin oilve oil later, the pizza is ready to be slipped into the burning chambers of the newly created woodfire oven at QBA in Connaught Place.
What comes out of that little dark tunnel, filled with tonnes of flaming hot coals, is a perfectly smoked pizza—crispy outside and saucy inside. “A wood-fire oven was long overdue. It makes pizzas like no electric oven can. The process of cooking is quicker and more uniform, as the heat stored in the dense walls helps the food cook faster. A small fire is always kept ignited to maintain that optimum temperature,” says chef Cecil Raj, who is presenting the promotion.
With the new oven addition comes a variety of new pizzas and bakes as well. Aglio Olio e Pepperoncino pizza (mascarpone, chopped garlic, chilli flakes, Mozzarella, parsley), Four Mushroom and Gruyere pizza (tomato sauce, white fungus, black fungus, shitake, button mushrooms, Mozzarella, gruyere and parsley), Lebanese pizza (tomato sauce, babaganoush, feta cheese, mozzarella, oregano, parsley), Mexican Paneer pizza (tomato sauce, barbeque sauce, cottage cheese, chilli flakes, jalapeños, Mozzarella, coriander), California Chicken pizza (baked chicken, pickled artichokes, sundried tomatoes, roasted red pepper on tomato base with mozzarella and Parmesan), Baked Lasagna (Lasagna prepared with assorted vegetables and baked in wood fired oven), Roast Chicken (chicken with skin, served with black pepper sauce) and a lot more.
The best from the lot, however, is the Crispy Chicken pizza (tomato sauce, chilli sauce, crispy chicken, spring onion, sliced onion, Mozzarella and parsley), and the chocolate pizza. What adds to the experience is that all the prep work is done right in front of you. ‘‘You see, all the action happens right in front of your eyes. Nothing is left to the imagination and that is a good thing, as when eating out, you want to be served precisely what you wanted,’’ says the chef.