Pizza With Parsley Pesto Cremini Mushrooms Fontina And Goat Cheese Recipes

GRILLED FRENCH BREAD PIZZA WITH MUSHROOM PESTO AND FONTINA CHEESE

Steps:

• Place the porcini mushrooms in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Let sit until softened, 30 minutes.
• Heat the grill to high.
• Brush the cremini or white button mushroom caps with the canola oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the mushrooms on the grill, cap side down and grill until golden brown and slightly charred, 4 to 5 minutes. Turn the caps over and continue grilling until the mushrooms are cooked through, about 5 minutes longer. Remove from the grill, let cool slightly then coarsely chop.
• Remove the porcinis from the soaking liquid and place in the bowl of a food processor with a few tablespoons of the soaking liquid. Add cremini mushrooms, garlic pulp, walnuts, parsley and thyme in a food processor and process until finely chopped. With the motor running, slowly add 1/2 cup of the olive oil and process until smooth. Add 1/4 cup of the Romano cheese and pulse a few times to incorporate. Season with salt and pepper.
• Brush the bread on the cut side with the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Evenly spread the pesto over the cut side of each half of bread. Top the pesto with the fontina cheese, return to the grill, cheese side up, close the cover of the grill and cook until the cheese has melted, about 2 minutes. Remove from the grill and sprinkle with the remaining Romano.

MIXED MUSHROOM AND FONTINA PIZZA

Steps:

• To make the dough, place 1/4 cup of the warm water in a small bowl. Stir in the sugar until dissolved, then sprinkle the yeast onto the surface of the water. Let the yeast sit undisturbed for 1 minute, then stir it into the water until blended. Let the yeast "proof" for 10 minutes; it should become bubbly because of the presence of sugar. If it doesn=t bubble, it is outdated and inactive.
• Pour the yeast mixture into a large bowl. Mix in the remaining cup of water, the olive oil, and salt. Add the flour and semolina and stir with a wooden spoon until a ball of dough forms. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead 10 minutes, flouring the work surface as necessary to prevent the dough from sticking.
• Lightly oil a large ceramic or glass bowl. Place the dough inside, then flip it over so the oiled side is on top. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm place to rise until double in bulk, about 11 1/2 hours.
• Meanwhile make the topping. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add the onions. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are golden brown all over, about 20 minutes. Mix in the mushrooms and cook until they are brown and juicy, about 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and season the mushrooms with the thyme, salt, and pepper.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. If you are using a pizza stone heat it at least 45 minutes before cooking the pizza on it.
• Punch down the dough and dump it onto your work surface. Divide it into 3. Lightly flour the work surface, then with a rolling pin, roll one portion of the dough into an 11inch circle. If you are using a pizza stone, then sprinkle some cornmeal onto a pizza peel and place the disk of dough on it; otherwise, lightly grease a baking sheet and place the dough on that.
• Spread 1/3 of the sour cream all over the dough. Sprinkle on 1/3 of the fontina cheese, then scatter 1/3 of the mushroom mixture all over the pizza. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown underneath. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.

WILD MUSHROOMS AND FONTINA PIZZA

Steps:

• Thirty to sixty minutes before ready to bake the pizzas, place a baking stone on a rack in the lowest level of the oven; turn on oven to maximum temperature, 500°.
• Wipe mushrooms clean with damp paper towel; discard stems of shiitake mushrooms; cut mushrooms into thin slices.
• In a big pan, heat the oil with the garlic over medium heat; add in the mushrooms, thyme, salt, and pepper to taste; cook, stirring often.
• When the mushrooms liquid has evaporated and the mushrooms are browned, add the parsley; let cool.
• Place pizza dough on a floured surface; Using your fingers, stretch and flatten dough out into a 12-inch circle.
• Dust a pizza peel with flour; place dough on the peel, shaking it once or twice to make sure it does not stick-if it does, lift the dough and dust the peel with more flour.
• Spread the cheese slices over the dough leaving a ½ inch border all around; top with the mushrooms.
• Slide pizza onto prepared baking stone; bake pizza 6-7 minutes or until the edges are puffed and the crust is crisp and golden brown.
• Remove pizza to a cutting board; cut into wedges and serve immediately.