Pat Lenzs Leek And Goat Cheese Pizzas Food

LEEK, TOMATO, GOAT CHEESE PIZZA

Steps:

• Melt butter in large skillet over medium-low heat. Add leeks; saute until tender, about 10 minutes.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Stir in parsley.
• Cool.
• Spread leek topping evenly over pizza shell; sprinkle tomatoes over.
• Top with cheese. Drizzle 1 tablespoon oil over.
• Bake about 10 minutes at 450 F.
• Remove from oven and brush crust with olive oil.

PIZZA WITH LEEKS, TOMATO AND GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• Place warm water in large bowl; sprinkle yeast over and stir to blend. Let stand until yeast dissolves, about 10 minutes. Whisk in oil and salt. Stir in 1 1/2 cups flour. Turn out dough onto floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, adding more flour if dough is sticky, about 10 minutes. Lightly oil large bowl. Add dough, turning to coat. Cover with plastic wrap. Let dough rise in warm area until doubled, about 1 hour.
• Punch down dough. Turn out onto floured surface; form into ball. Cover with towel; let rest 30 minutes.
• Melt butter in large skillet over medium-low heat. Add leeks; sauté until tender, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in parsley. Cool.
• Preheat oven to 500°F. Sprinkle 12-inch-diameter pizza pan or baking sheet generously with cornmeal. Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to 11-inch round. Transfer to prepared pan. Spread leek topping evenly over dough; sprinkle tomato over. Top with goat cheese. Drizzle 1 tablespoon oil over. Bake pizza until crust is golden and crisp, about 12 minutes. Remove from oven; brush crust rim with 1 tablespoon oil. Cut into wedges.

PAT LENZ'S LEEK AND GOAT CHEESE PIZZAS

Steps:

• Heat butter and oil in a skillet. Add leeks and onions and saute over low heat, covered, until the vegetables are very tender but not brown. Stir them from time to time as they cook.
• Crumble saffron into skillet, add salt and mix. Cover and continue to cook 10 more minutes, stirring a few times.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Dust a large baking sheet with cornmeal.
• Divide dough into four equal portions. Shape each into a circle about 6 inches in diameter with a rim of about 1/2 inch and place on baking sheet. Spread each circle of dough with the saffron-flavored leek mixture.
• Sprinkle crumbled goat cheese evenly over each pizza, then arrange strips of sun-dried tomatoes like spokes of a wheel over the cheese. If using olives, sprinkle the pieces in a circular pattern on each pizza.
• Bake on the bottom level of the oven until lightly browned and the cheese has melted, about 20 minutes. Serve at once.

POTATO-LEEK PIZZA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F. Drizzle a baking sheet with olive oil.
• In a skillet, fry the bacon over medium heat until cooked but not crisp; remove and set aside. Pour off most of the grease but do not clean the skillet. Return the skillet to the stove and turn the heat to medium low. Add the leeks and saute until soft, about 3 minutes.
• Pull or roll the bread dough into a rectangle and place on the oiled baking sheet. Drizzle the dough with olive oil. Arrange the potatoes in a single layer all over the crust, slightly overlapping the edges. Sprinkle the potatoes lightly with salt, then lay the mozzarella slices in a single layer on top of the potatoes. Arrange the leeks on top of the cheese. Sprinkle the fried bacon pieces over the top, followed by a generous addition of crumbled goat cheese, grated Parmesan and freshly ground black pepper.
• Bake until the edges of the crust are golden brown and the cheese is melted and bubbly, 11 to 13 minutes. Cut into squares and serve immediately.

LEEK AND GOAT CHEESE PIZZA

Steps:

• Place a pizza stone in the lower third of your oven, and preheat the oven to 500°F. Allow the pizza stone to preheat for at least 30 minutes. To prepare leeks: Cut leeks lengthwise and then agitate them in a large bowl of cold water to remove any dirt or sand between the layers. Drain off water and slice crosswise into ¼-inch pieces. In a large skillet over medium heat melt butter, when foaming subsides add leeks and thyme, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 4 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Once your stone is preheated, start rolling out your dough. Dust work surface with flour. Flatten one dough ball to a thickness of ½-inch, and roll to desired diameter. Transfer to a parchment paper-lined rimmed baking sheet and cover with another piece of parchment and proceed with remaining dough. Sprinkle a pizza peel with some cornmeal and place a dough round on the peel. Give the peel a little shake to make sure the dough moves freely and is not sticking. Lightly brush dough with olive oil, leaving ½-inch exposed around the edge. Top with sautéed leeks, goat cheese and prosciutto and season with salt and pepper. Transfer the pizza to the oven and cook until the crust is crispy and leeks are lightly charred about 8 minutes for an individual pizza. If topping your pizza with an egg, cook the pizza for five minutes or until 75 percent done. Quickly open the oven and pour the cracked egg right in the center of the pizza. Bake for 3 more minutes or until the egg white is opaque but the yolk is very soft to the touch. Remove the pizza from the oven and place on a cutting board. Season the egg with salt and pepper. Let the pizza rest for 1 to 2 minutes before cutting it.