Let's eat pizza every day!

I am no longer a fig virgin and I do believe I have fallen in love!  Although I've eaten figs in many forms, tonight was my first experience cooking with them.

ROASTED FIG

Mission figs - beautiful and plump. After I rinsed them off and removed the stems I then sliced them in quarters from the stem end down toward the base, without cutting through the base so that they would lay open like little flowers. Then I placed them atop a large rack that laid over a rimmed baking sheet. I did not add any seasonings, simply a drizzle of olive oil to prevent them from drying out. It took approximately 15 minutes at 375 degrees F for them to caramelize and turn a golden brown.


ROASTED FIG, PANCETTA AND GOAT CHEESE PIZZA

I used the second half of the pizza dough left over from last night's dinner - once again, placing the dough on a prepared baking sheet (sprayed with non-stick cooking oil or lightly oiled, and a light dusting of corn meal). Pressed the dough into a 13" x 7" rectangle. This time, instead of prebaking the crust - I pressed the roasted dates into the soft dough. Without going any further 0 this was a total work of art. I wish I had snapped a photo. I then sprinkled 1/3 cup crushed candied pecans (See recipe in 9-11-09 post) over the top of the figs – and instead of using caramelized onion, which seems to be a favorite served with figs and goat cheese, I opted for raw red onion because of the contrast it would lend with its sweet-tart flavor and crisp texture against the naturally sweet and soft texture of the fig. I thinly sliced approximately 1/4 cup of red onion and scattered it evenly over the pizza. Then I topped everything with 1/3 cup shredded Parmigiano Reggiano – knowing the grainy texture and saltiness of the cheese would totally compliment all of the flavors. Lastly, by hand I crumbled 8 ounces of soft goat cheese atop the pizza and sprinkled 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes over all.

I baked the pizza at 385 degrees F for 20 minutes, then I placed a sheet of foil, sprayed with non-stick cooking spray, over the top of the pizza to prevent premature browning of the delicate goat cheese – returning the pizza to the oven for another 20 minutes – before removing the foil and baking for a final 6-8 more minutes to complete the browning process. As I mentioned previously, I always cook my pizzas at a lower temp for a longer period of time because I am very picky about my pizza crust and don’t like any soft spots.

This pizza was incredible! Even my husband, who is typically very good about trying new things, was not looking forward to a “fig and goat cheese pizza” – but he was surprised how good this pizza was. He didn’t think he would like the fig.

I think the success of this pizza comes down to the thought out combinations of fresh ingredients. Again, each ingredient should bring its own specialty to the recipe and when you combine sweet – hot – salty – crunchy – creamy – you just can’t miss!

Ciao!