This Pizzetta, is inspired by the variety of gourmet pizza’s that seem to be infiltrating the Bay Area’s food scene. I’m going for a white pizza with leeks, potatoes, and bacon.
I don’t like to mess around with dough; frankly I don’t have that kind of patience. Plus, these Middle Eastern flatbreads are the perfect size for single servings.
For the white sauce:
- 2 tbs flour
- 2 tbs butter
- ½ cup milk
- ¼ cup of parmesan
- 1tbs of chopped sage
- 1 clove of garlic finely minced
- Salt and pepper to taste (not shown)
Melt the butter in a sauce pan and add the flour. Cook the flour for a couple of minutes. Add in your cream and milk. Next, the thyme and garlic go in and this is how the sauce gets it flavor. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer and stir it. The sauce should thicken. Test it with the back of a wooden spoon. Melt in your parmesan and then season to taste.
Now to prep your toppings:
- 3 strips of bacon
- 1tbs of olive oil (not shown)
- 2 leeks finely sliced
- 3 small potatoes thinly sliced soaked in water for a few minutes
- 1 clove of garlic, just crushed
- Sprig of thyme
- 1 cup of grated Fontina cheese
- Salt and pepper (not shown)
Chop up your bacon and then sauté it in a pan, so it gets nice and crisp. After your bacon has reached your desired crispness, remove it and set it aside. Add a little olive oil to the pan to avoid it from smoking, and then add your leeks and sauté on low for about 15-20 min. You are aiming for a very soft consistency. As the leeks are getting worked, let’s get to the potatoes.
Thoroughly drain the potatoes. & now it’s time to fry’em up. This works best in a cast iron skillet, (if you don’t have one, GET ONE! I don’t know how lived without one before.) Heat up some olive oil with the thyme and garlic and pan fry the slices of potatoes. (I saw Thomas Keller do this once —he’s such a master) I also seasoned them as they were cooking, careful not to over crowd the pan, this will prevent them from getting slightly crispy. You can cook them in batches if necessary adding in some olive oil as necessary)
Now it’s the fun part the PIZZA ASSEMBLY LINE!
Take your flatbread, spread some sauce, top it with the cheese, leeks, potatoes, and bacon—and a lil’more cheese
Bake in @ 400ooven for 5-7 minutes.
You may use a pizza stone if you have one, if not, put it directly on the rack with the baking pan on the rack below to catch any possible melting cheese. Having the bottom of the crust exposed will ensure a delightfully crisp crust.
This pizza is so good, that even a deep dish Chicagoan like Marc loves it!
Yummy! I love pizza
um…. i have been waiting for a month for the next recipe! i have been clueless about what to make so i have just been sitting here staring at my computer, waiting for your guidance, and starving. more posts, please! don’t give up