Pickled Mushroom and Gruyere Pizza

An unexpectedly delicious combination of nutty Gruyere and tangy pickled mushrooms makes this simple pizza a knockout. Served with a green salad, it makes a quick vegetarian dinner for two.

Yields two 10-inch pizzas

1 lb. pizza dough, at room temperature

All-purpose flour for rolling

Olive oil for brushing

1½ cups Pickled Mushrooms with Garlic and Herbs (recipe at right), drained

1½ cups grated Gruyére

2 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Position a rack in the lowest part of the oven and heat the oven to 500°F.

Divide the pizza dough into two balls. On a lightly floured surface, roll one of the balls out to a 10-inch circle. Put the dough on a pizza pan or baking sheet and brush with olive oil. Bake until the dough isjust beginning to color, 8 to 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, chop the mushrooms into bite-size pieces. Remove the pizza from the oven and sprinkle half of the Gruyere, mushrooms, and parsley over the pizza, leaving a ½-inch border. Continue to bake until the edges of the pizza are brown and the cheese is thoroughly melted, 5 to 7 minutes.

Repeat with the other half of the dough and toppings.

PICKLED MUSHROOMS WITH GAELIC AND HERB

Use as many varieties of mushrooms as you can find for the best flavor and texture. In addition to the pizza here, try these with any egg or cheese dish.

Yields about 1 quart

6 cups mixed mushrooms (such as maitake, enoki, oyster, cremini, shiitake, and royal trumpet), washed, trimmed, and if large, halved or separated into smaller sections

4 sprigs fresh thyme

1 cup white wine vinegar

3 Tbs. olive oil

1 Tbs. granulated sugar

10 whole peppercorns

1 dried bay leaf

1 large clove garlic, slivered

1 small dried hot red chile (about 2 inches long)

Kosher salt

Bring an 8-quart pot of water to a boil. Immerse a quart-size canning jar, lid, and band in the water and boil for 10 minutes to sterilize. With tongs, transfer to a clean dishtowel to drain.

Boil the mushrooms in the water until tender, 10 minutes. Drain and pack them into the jar along with the thyme sprigs.

In a small saucepan, bring the vinegar, oil, sugar, peppercorns, bay leaf, garlic, chile, 1 Tbs. salt, and ½ cup water to a boil over medium heat. Pour the mixture over the mushrooms until it reaches the top of the jar. Screw on the lid, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate for 3 days before using. The mushrooms will keep in the refrigerator for at least 2 weeks.

 

It is a quote. Fine Cooking Magazine February / March 2011