Pizza

A few days ago a friend of Rob's asked for a recipe for the Chicken Caesar Pizza that we make (he must have been bragging about how good it is). He called and asked me to email it to him. Well that was a lot of typing for my less than coordinated fingers. I thought that I had better not let it go to waste. So here it is for any who are interested.


Here is the recipe and all the accompanying recipes that you might needfor this pizza. In ( ) I have commented on some shortcuts andsubstitutes that we use to make it faster. I hope you enjoy it. -Lacey

Chicken Caesar Pizza

Marinade:
1/2 Cup extra-virgin olive oil (we have also used vegetable oil and itworks fine)
3 1/2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice ( bottled works for us)
2 large jalepeno peppers, trimmed and minced ( you can also use bottled or canned)
1 garlic clove, peeled and minced (garlic powder can be substituted)
Pinch of chopped fresh cilantro leaves (we never add this, but itsprobably good)
Kosher salt (or table salt)
1 1/4 lbs skinned boned uncooked chicken cut into cubes (about 4 cups)

Make marinade and marinate the chicken for 1 hour, refrigerated.
Cook Chicken:
In a skillet heat a tablespoon of oil (I just spray it with cookingspray). Remove chicken from marinade with a slotted spoon. Saute untilbrowned on all sides. Do not overcook. Remove and set aside.

For Pizza:
1 Recipe Pizza Dough (or premade crust)
2 Tablespoons Chili and Garlic Oil ( recipe follows)
1/4 cup Oven dried tomatoes ( recipe follows - Rob likes to just putfresh cubed tomatoes on at the end instead)
2 cups shredded or grated Mozzerella Cheese (8 ounces)
2 cups grated fontina cheese (8 ounces)
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried)
2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano ( or 1 teaspoon dried)
Sauteed spicy Chicken (from above)
2 tablespoons freshly grated parmesean Cheese (we use pre-grated)
10 ounces romaine lettuce cut into chiffonade (little ribbons)
1/2 cup Ceasar Vinaigrette (recipe follows)
Salt and pepper
1/2 ounce parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Roll out dough (if needed) and place on pizza pan (if you put cornmeal under it it won't stick). Brush dough with chili garlic oil and layer as follows: tomatoes (if youchose to use oven dried, if not put them on with the lettuce),mozzerella, fontina, herbs, chicken and parmesan (we generally puteverything on under the cheese to keep it on the crust, but this is howthe book says to do it). Bake pizza 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven.Toss the lettuce with the vinaigrette and season with salt and pepper.Arrange lettuce (and tomatoes if you prefer) on pizza and top withremaining parmesan. Cut into slices and serve immediately.

Chili and Garlic Oil:
Makes 2 Cups (more than you need for the pizza)

1 whole head of garlic cloves seperated and peeled
2 cups extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes

In a small sauce pan combine garlic cloves and olive oil and bring to aboil. Reduce heat and simmer until garlic turns golden brown 10-15minutes. Do not let the garlic get too dark because it will have a bitter taste. Let cool and then add the red pepper flakes. Infuse for at least 2 hoursto allow the flavors to blend. Refrigerate in a covered container.

**** I use store bought "chili oil" and add garlic powder stir it up and use it - much faster and easier. In a pinch I have even just usedolive oil garlic powder and red pepper flakes.


Oven Dried Tomatoes:
Makes 1 1/4 cups (more than you need for the pizza)
2 lbs roma tomatoes (about 12)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
6 garlic cloves crushed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon sugar

Preheat to 250 degrees. In a pot of boiling water blanch tomatoes. Drain and refresh in icewater. Drain. Peel. Core. Cut into quarters. Remove seeds. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and arrange the tomato quarters on the tray cut side down. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with thyme and garlic. In a small bowl combine salt pepper and sugar and sprinkle over tomatoes. Bake until the tomatoes begin to shrivel, about 1 hour. When the tomatoes are cool enough to handle transfer to a container. Pour olive oil over and cover. Refrigerate and use as needed.

****See why we use fresh on the top - way too much work unless you planto spend all day cooking or using them a lot.

Caesar Vinaigrette:
Makes about 2 cups (more than you need for the pizza)

1 egg
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (bottled is fine)
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon Worchestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 anchovy fillets mashed (we never do this)
Scant cup peanut oil (vegetable or olive oil is fine)
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper

In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg, lemon juice, garlic,worchestershire sauce, red pepper flakes, mustard, and anchovies. Slowly whisk in the oils to emulsify. Stir in the cheese and season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate in a covered container. When ready to use, whisk again.Will keep up to one week in a refrigerated covered container.

**** This is really good. If you don't want to spend the time storebought tastes good too.

Pizza Dough:
Makes 4 personal pizzas, 2 medium/small pizzas, or 1 large pizza

1 package active dry yeast
1 teaspoon honey
1 cup warm water (105-115 degrees)
3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil or chili and garlic oil

In a small bowl dissolve the yeast and honey in 1/4 cup water (it will"proof" aka get bubbly in a couple of minutes, but if the water is toohot your pizza won't rise).In a mixer fitted with a dough hook , combine flour and salt. Add the oil, your mixture, and remaining 3/4 cup water and mix on low speed until the dough comes cleanly away from the sides of the bowl and clusters around the dough hook, about 5 minutes. (can also be made in a food precessor. Disolve yeast as above. combine flour and salt inprocessor with steel blade. pulse once or twice, add remaining ingredients and process until the dought forms a ball.)Turn dough out onto clean work surface and knead by hand for 2-3 minutes longer. The dough should be firn and smooth. Cover the dough with a clean, damp towel and let it rise in a warm spot for about 30 minutes.(when ready the dough will stretch when it is lightly pulled.) If you are making more than one pizza divide the dough now. Work the ball(s) by pulling down the sides and tucking it under the bottom of the ball. Repeat 3-4 times. Then on a smooth surface roll the ball under the palm of your hand until the top is smooth and firm, about 1 minute. Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let it rest 15-20 minutes more. (At thispoint the dough can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for up to 2 days)Stretch or roll the dough into a cirlce or square (to fit your pizza pan). Spread pan with Cornmeal to prevent sticking. Place dough on pan. Top as desired. Bake at 500 Degrees 10-12 minutes.

****We use this recipe all the time. If you do the dough first you can make all the other toppings (if you use the shortcuts) while it rises. Start to finish it usually takes us an hour.