This recipe gives a double hit of mushroom goodness and shows off the delicate flavour of the mushrooms to their very best.
The key is to divide your mushrooms into two equal parts. The first part consists of the stalks, bases, and the heartier varieties of the mushrooms and will get pan roasted in butter and turned into the sauce base of the pizza. The second part, the delicate tops, is reserved for topping your pizza.
Cooking time: 30 minutes Serves: 2
Ingredients
250 g mixed mushrooms, divided
1 french shallot, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, sliced
15 g butter
25 g pistachios, shelled
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon pizza sauce
1 tablespoon water as necessary for consistency
50 g shredded mozzarella
Pizza dough or base of your choice (find recipe for dough below)
This recipe is enough topping for 1 large base or 2 medium bases
Parsley and olive oil for serving
In a fry pan over medium high heat, cook half the mushrooms (stalks and heartier varieties) in the butter until starting to brown or 4-6 minutes. Be sure to brown on all sides, stirring often. Reduce the heat, add the shallot, garlic and salt. continue to cook until the shallot is translucent and tender. Transfer mixture to a bowl and allow to cool slightly.
Process this mix in a blender until very smooth (add a splash of water to help processing). Add 2/3 of the pistachios and process until very smooth. Stir in the pizza sauce and adjust the consistency with water as required to a thick but spreadable paste.
Stretch your pizza dough or prepared base. Spread the mix thickly and evenly over the base. Cover lightly with 1/2 the mozzarella. Arrange the rest of the mushrooms over your pizza. Top with the remaining mozzarella. Season your pizza with a sprinkle of salt and cracked black pepper to taste.
Bake your pizza on a stone or pan until well browned. Garnish with chopped parsley, the remaining coarsely chopped pistachios, and a drizzle of good olive oil. Allow to cool slightly before slicing and serving.
Pizza Dough Recipe
This is a classic style pizza dough and must be started the day before. This recipe gives you enough for 2 x 25 cm pizzas.
500 g plain flour
15 g salt
3.5 g instant yeast
325 g room temperature water
20 g olive oil
Mix together flour, salt and yeast. Add water and olive oil and stir together to form a shaggy, fairly sticky dough. Cover and allow to rest for 15 minutes.
Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface. Knead by hand for 6-8 minutes (3-4 minutes by machine), transfer to an oiled bowl, cover and allow to rest for 1 hour.
Divide the dough into 2. Roll into balls and transfer to an oiled plastic container. Refrigerate at least 8 hours, but up to 3 days.
Remove from fridge 2 hours before stretching and baking. Try not to press the air bubbles out when stretching the dough (work centre to edge) to achieve a light, crisp crust. Best baked on a pizza stone or in a pizza oven.
Recipe and photos by Bear Bites Media