I invented a new pizza on Saturday: chicken and roasted red pepper pizza. Someone else out there may have already invented such a pizza, but I've never had one like it before, so, to my knowledge, I'm the first. I had a couple of red bell peppers I needed to use before they went bad--I had bought them for another recipe and then changed my mind (I don't always follow my own plans). I was rummaging around in my fridge looking for something with which to cook them and found a boneless, skinless chicken breast and some shredded cheese in the freezer. I stood there trying to think of a way to combine those things, and pizza seemed to be the natural solution. Here I present, free for the taking, my new recipe:
First, roast the red bell peppers (be sure to cut the stem out and dump out the seeds first--makes things easier later). I have a gas stove, so I just put them on the burners and light the flame. I use my tongs to turn them as each side gets charred. You can also roast the peppers in a pan by sticking them under the broiler (you'll have to pull them out and turn them as they roast). When they're completely black, take them off the flame and put them in a clean plastic bag and seal it up. Let them steam for at least 10 minutes; this eases removal of the skin. I just use a paper towel to wipe the skin off; some cookbooks and recipes will tell you to run the peppers under water to get the skin off, and that does work, but you lose too much of the flavor, in my opinion. Slice them in thin strips and set aside.
Second, slice up the chicken (I used half a chicken breast) very thinly. Saute it in a skillet with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper, until it just starts to turn white. You should saute for only a couple of minutes; the chicken should still be a little pink in the center. You don't want to cook the chicken completely at this stage, because it is going back into the oven later, and you don't want dry, chalky chicken on your pizza. Drain the chicken slices on paper towels.
Third, mince some garlic. I like a lot of garlic, so I used 4 cloves. You can omit the garlic or use onions, if you prefer.
Fourth, get your pizza crust ready. I use the Jiffy boxed mix (because it's cheap), but those Boboli pizza shells work well, too. If you use fresh dough, it's a good idea to pre-bake the crust for a couple of minutes before putting the toppings on. You risk ending up with a soggy crust if you don't.
Finally, assemble the pizza: drizzle a little olive oil on the crust and spread it around with the back of a spoon (it should be a thin glaze, not an oil slick). Sprinkle the garlic (or onion) evenly over the crust. Lay the chicken slices evenly on the pizza, and follow with the roasted red pepper slices. Sprinkle the peppers and chicken with salt, pepper, and whatever herb you like (I just used basil). Spread shredded cheese (preferably mozzarella or another cheese that melts well) over the chicken and peppers. Bake at 425 degrees until the cheese is brown. I think mine took 20 minutes. Enjoy!
First, roast the red bell peppers (be sure to cut the stem out and dump out the seeds first--makes things easier later). I have a gas stove, so I just put them on the burners and light the flame. I use my tongs to turn them as each side gets charred. You can also roast the peppers in a pan by sticking them under the broiler (you'll have to pull them out and turn them as they roast). When they're completely black, take them off the flame and put them in a clean plastic bag and seal it up. Let them steam for at least 10 minutes; this eases removal of the skin. I just use a paper towel to wipe the skin off; some cookbooks and recipes will tell you to run the peppers under water to get the skin off, and that does work, but you lose too much of the flavor, in my opinion. Slice them in thin strips and set aside.
Second, slice up the chicken (I used half a chicken breast) very thinly. Saute it in a skillet with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper, until it just starts to turn white. You should saute for only a couple of minutes; the chicken should still be a little pink in the center. You don't want to cook the chicken completely at this stage, because it is going back into the oven later, and you don't want dry, chalky chicken on your pizza. Drain the chicken slices on paper towels.
Third, mince some garlic. I like a lot of garlic, so I used 4 cloves. You can omit the garlic or use onions, if you prefer.
Fourth, get your pizza crust ready. I use the Jiffy boxed mix (because it's cheap), but those Boboli pizza shells work well, too. If you use fresh dough, it's a good idea to pre-bake the crust for a couple of minutes before putting the toppings on. You risk ending up with a soggy crust if you don't.
Finally, assemble the pizza: drizzle a little olive oil on the crust and spread it around with the back of a spoon (it should be a thin glaze, not an oil slick). Sprinkle the garlic (or onion) evenly over the crust. Lay the chicken slices evenly on the pizza, and follow with the roasted red pepper slices. Sprinkle the peppers and chicken with salt, pepper, and whatever herb you like (I just used basil). Spread shredded cheese (preferably mozzarella or another cheese that melts well) over the chicken and peppers. Bake at 425 degrees until the cheese is brown. I think mine took 20 minutes. Enjoy!
Comments
JM: Yes, you don't want to eat those blackened skins. They ain't good for the digestion. ;-)