Meyer Lemon, Sauteed Leek, and Caper Pizza with Melty Taleggio
Oct 01, 2015Posted by Brigit BinnsPrint
This recipe was demonstrated at the 2015 Forno Bravo EXPO by author and culinary instructor, Brigit Binns, owner of Refugio Paso Robles.
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
2 small or 1 medium leek, white and light green parts only, well washed and very finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced or pushed through a press
1 tablespoon medium-dry white wine, such as Viognier
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Meyer lemon (substitute an orange if unavailable)
One 9-ounce dough ball, at room temperature
Rice flour and cornmeal, for shaping and cooking the pizza
2 tablespoons drained capers
3 ounces Taleggio cheese, cut into small chunks
In a heavy skillet over medium-low heat, warm the olive oil. Add the leeks and wine, cover the pan, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 20 minutes. Uncover and cook, stirring more frequently, until most of the liquid has evaporated and the leeks are slightly golden, 5–10 minutes more. Be careful not to let them scorch; remove from the heat and thoroughly stir in the garlic. (This may be done ahead of time.)
Trim the ends from the lemon and slice lengthwise into ¼-inch wedges. Trim away the flesh so that only about 1/8-inch remains attached to the peel. Slice the peel crosswise into ¼-inch dice.
Prepare a wood-fired oven for high-heat pizza-making.
Flour a board and your hands with rice flour, then stretch and pull the dough (never press) into a roughly 13-inch round or oval; don’t try to make it perfect. Transfer to a wooden pizza peel liberally sprinkled with cornmeal. Working quickly, drizzle the dough with about 1 tablespoon of olive oil, staying away from the edge, and spread the leeks somewhat evenly over the top, leaving a 1-inch border. Scatter the lemon dice, capers and cheese evenly over the whole circle, again leaving a 1-inch border. Jiggle the dough on the peel to make sure its still mobile, then slide it smoothly into the hot oven. Bake until the edges are golden and the cheese is melty, 1 ½ to 4 minutes, depending on your oven. Retrieve with a metal pizza peel, transfer to a cutting board, slice, and enjoy.
