I was a little worried about this month’s Iron Chef Challenge. Caramel is so easy for desserts that I was completely worried I’d end the evening in such a sugar coma I just wouldn’t be able to move for three days! I was amazed at the great array of dishes that we had! It turned out to be a pretty well rounded meal between the salads with caramelized nuts, sliders with caramelized onions and of course a few desserts.
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| clockwise: salted caramel cookies, caramelize squash, salted chocolate caramels, caramel cheesecake, caremlized nut salad, caramel crepes, caramelized nuts center: sliders with caramelized onions |
The big question I had for the evening was if Jonathan, my usual Iron Chef teammate who decided he was ready to go out on his own, would rise to the challenge and show me up. Conveniently his parents were in town and he showed up empty handed! Too busy with the family….but oh wait! My mother was in town too! Sorry excuse if you ask me. Next time, he’d better bring it. I mean, c'mon! I made a pizza that inspired one voter to write a haiku:
The pleasant pizza
of pears and delicious cheese
makes my whole mouth sing
The pleasant pizza
of pears and delicious cheese
makes my whole mouth sing
To be fair though, my mother, Stephen and I joined forces to make our pizza. It's not like I had to ignore my house guests to cook. Mama and I made the pizza dough the day before, in between a visit to the National Zoo and dinner at Zaytinya, home of Chef Mike Isabella who was on Top Chef. The dough has to rest for 18-24 hours, but it’s totally worth it! Stephen gave us his rousing moral support by softly snoring as he napped on the couch.
Iron Chef itself went very well. The food was excellent and we had a fun playing lawn games after we ate; Team Steve Irwin vs. the Stingrays. We even got some Bocce ball in. If you thought that having the grill as an obstacle in a game of Bocce is a good idea, you’re right! I haven’t laughed that hard in a long time. The Bocce ball shaped dent in the grill is amazing. My favorite is a picture of Stephen and Jimmy staring at the destruction. The caption will read: I bet duct tape could fix that.
Caramelized Pear and Gorgonzola Pizza
Makes two 10-inch pizzas
1 recipe pizza dough (see below, make the day before)
8 oz provolone cheese slices
5 oz gorgonzola
1 bosc pear thinly sliced
sugar
Place the pizza stone or tile onto the bottom of a cold oven and turn the oven to its highest temperature, about 500 degrees F. If the oven has coils on the oven floor, place the tile onto the lowest rack of the oven. Split the pizza dough into 2 equal parts using a knife or a dough scraper.
Wet hands barely with water and rub them onto the countertop to dampen the surface. Knead the dough gently a few times. Then cover one ball with a tea towel and rest for 30 minutes.
Repeat the steps with the other piece of dough.
While the dough is resting, dip the thin slices of pears into sugar and place on a large skillet. Cook on a medium heat. Syrup will form with the fruit juices. Cook until the syrup becomes a light brown. Remove from heat.
Sprinkle the cornmeal onto the peel and place the dough onto the pizza peel or flat baking sheet. Using your hands, form a lip around the edges of the pizza. Stretch the dough into a round disc, rotating after each stretch. Toss the dough in the air if you dare. Shake the pizza on the peel to be sure that it will slide onto the pizza stone or tile.
Dress and bake the pizza immediately for a crisp crust or rest the dough for 30 minutes if you want a chewy texture.
Brush the rim of the pizza with olive oil. Place half the provolone slices on the pizza, then sprinkle with half the gorgonzola. Spoon caramelized pears onto the pizza.
Slide the pizza onto the tile and bake for 7 minutes, or until bubbly and golden brown. Rest for 3 minutes before slicing. Repeat with the second pizza.
Pizza Dough
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon pure olive oil
3/4 cup warm water
2 cups bread flour (for bread machines)
1 teaspoon instant yeast
2 teaspoons olive oil
Olive oil, for the pizza crust
cornmeal
Place the sugar, salt, olive oil, water, 1 cup of flour, yeast, and remaining cup of flour into a standing mixer's work bowl. Using the paddle attachment, start the mixer on low and mix until the dough just comes together, forming a ball. Lube the hook attachment with cooking spray. Attach the hook to the mixer and knead for 15 minutes on medium speed.
Tear off a small piece of dough and flatten into a disc. Stretch the dough until thin. Hold it up to the light and look to see if the baker's windowpane, or taut membrane, has formed. If the dough tears before it forms, knead the dough for an additional 5 to 10 minutes.
Roll the pizza dough into a smooth ball on the countertop. Place into a stainless steel or glass bowl. Add 2 teaspoons of olive oil to the bowl and toss to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 18 to 24 hours. (If making the caramelized pear pizza see above for the remainder of the instructions).
Place the pizza stone or tile onto the bottom of a cold oven and turn the oven to its highest temperature, about 500 degrees F. If the oven has coils on the oven floor, place the tile onto the lowest rack of the oven. Split the pizza dough into 2 equal parts using a knife or a dough scraper. Flatten into a disk onto the countertop and then fold the dough into a ball.
Wet hands barely with water and rub them onto the countertop to dampen the surface. Roll the dough on the surface until it tightens. Cover one ball with a tea towel and rest for 30 minutes.
Repeat the steps with the other piece of dough. If not baking the remaining pizza immediately, spray the inside of a ziptop bag with cooking spray and place the dough ball into the bag. Refrigerate for up to 6 days.
Sprinkle the cornmeal onto the peel and place the dough onto the peel. Using your hands, form a lip around the edges of the pizza. Stretch the dough into a round disc, rotating after each stretch. Toss the dough in the air if you dare. Shake the pizza on the peel to be sure that it will slide onto the pizza stone or tile. (Dress and bake the pizza immediately for a crisp crust or rest the dough for 30 minutes if you want a chewy texture.)
Brush the rim of the pizza with olive oil. Dress the pizza.
Slide the pizza onto the tile and bake for 7 minutes, or until bubbly and golden brown. Rest for 3 minutes before slicing.
