Fig and Caramelized Onion Pizza
Given I am traveling, or will be, to Palisade when this post hits my blog, I thought today would be a good day to share a new recipe!
Years ago, when I was in graduate school for my Master of Fine Art degree and in residency in Provincetown, Massachusetts, I enjoyed the most delightful Fig pizza at a local eatery. While dining, I took notes so I could attempt to recreate the pizza at home, I do that a lot when Andy and I dine out and I come across an amazing dish! My note taking was a success and for years I enjoyed making that pizza.
Sadly, I discovered this fall that when I upgraded my iPhone, some of my notes did not make it through the data transfer. My Ptown Fig pizza recipe was lost! In reflection, it was probably just as well because that pizza recipe included gorgonzola cheese as one of the ingredients and I’ve since discovered that both gorgonzola and blue cheese don’t agree with my tummy! That realized, I still wanted to make Fig pizza because I have two Fig trees that, after several years of sporadic production, were both on track to give me a bumper crop!
With enough fresh grown figs on hand, it was time to find a new Fig Pizza recipe. Harvest day was a glorious one in the wee little Putnam apartment! Surprisingly many, if not most, pizza recipes pair figs with gorgonzola. After much google searching, I successfully came across a recipe that did not use this ‘full-flavored’ cheese but instead paired it with goat cheese! I’m happy to report, it was a yummy success and I’m please to share the recipe below:
Fig and Caramelized Onion Pizza
Prep time: ten minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes (this can vary, the cook time I provide below is the standard cook time I use when making our pizzas on the pizza stone in the oven)
Yields one pizza/ 6-8 slices
Ingredients:
1 Lb Pizza dough, at room temperature (whenever possible I make my own but if in a pinch, I use store bought)
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter (the creator of this recipe recommends Land O’Lake but I use whatever unsalted butter I have on hand)
1 Sweet onion, peeled and thinly sliced
1 Tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
4 Oz diced pancetta (I can usually buy the pancetta already diced at our local King Soopers grocery store – you can find it near the deli department)
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 Teaspoon garlic powder
1 Cup of shredded mozzarella cheese
5 Figs, each sliced into 3 pieces (my fig trees gave me 4 figs, so I sliced them into 4 pieces)
4 Oz plan goat cheese, crumbled
1 Hand full of arugula
Fresh cracked black pepper
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and prepare a baking sheet with a non-stick liner. Spread out the dough onto the liner and set aside.
This is where I will deviate a bit from the original recipe… I preheat my oven to 500 degrees with the pizza stone in it on the middle rack. I roll out the dough on a baking mat using liberal amounts of flour to ensure it doesn’t stick to the mat. Once the oven is heated, I pull out the pizza stone and place the dough on the stone, next I prick the dough using a fork throughout the whole surface of the dough and put it in the oven and bake for 5 minutes. I love crispy pizza crust and find this method helps ensure a crispier crust in the end.
Back to the original directions… In a medium-sized skillet set over medium heat add the butter. Once, melted, add the onions, and cook until they are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Next add the balsamic vinegar and cook for a few more minutes – this is what helps caramelize the onions. Remove the onions from the pan and set aside. In the same pan, add the diced pancetta and cook slightly to help cook off some of the fat.
Next, brush the dough with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic powder. Top with ¾ cup of mozzarella cheese and then top with caramelized onions, pancetta, figs, remaining mozzarella cheese and crumbled goat cheese.
Place the pizza in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes at 425 degrees (or if you are using my method for the crispier crust 7-9 minutes at 500 degrees) until the crust is brown and the cheese is melted on top.
Remove from the oven and top with arugula and fresh cracked pepper.
Bon Appetit!
Original recipe by Brandy O’Neill – Nutmeg Nanny
