Making dreams come true. Dreams that involve chicken pesto pizza.

Posted by Michael on Feb 15, 2011 in Recipes | 0 comments

Alexandra, 5, knows what she likes.  Her two favourite suppers are sushi and chicken pesto pizza.

I’m fairly convinced those are her favourites because they involve going out for dinner, usually. She’s not just in love with sushi, she’s in love with having it at Sense of Tokyo restaurant in Saint John. And she’s not just in love with chicken pesto pizza, she’s in love with having it at Pomodori Pizza & Gelato in Rothesay. And even still, I think she’s more in love with the gelato that follows her favourite pie, but I digress.

I do make my own sushi and pizza at home though, and Alexandra likes it just as well, I guess, grudgingly.

I haven’t done a pizza post in a bit so it’s time for a refresher.  As with everything I cook, my pizza dough has gone through some evolution over the years so I’ll let you in on what I’ve been doing lately with regards to the pie base.   I’ve been favouring using a mix of all purpose flour and “00″ flour (can be purchased from Sister’s Italian Foods in the Saint John City Market).  I use a mix of all purpose flour and whole wheat flour with nearly every bread product I make except for pizza dough.  For pizza, I like the pure white flour as it allows the rest of the flavours to be more prominent in the pizza.  I just concentrate on getting the dough to the right consistency and baking it well so that it’s a crisp, semi-thin crust that holds up all the ingredients beautifully, and that, to me, is what makes a great pizza.

And Alexandra doesn’t seem to mind eating it at home either.

“I knew my dream would come true,” she said as I assembled her pizza.

Chicken Pesto Pizza

For the Chicken:

I use a very simple method for roasting the chicken that produces a juicy, perfectly cooked bird. I think I first saw this from Chef Keller of the famous French Laundry restaurant and it’s just fantastic despite it’s amazing simplicity. Obviously this will make leftovers that you can ram into your face at a later date, and for heaven’s sake, don’t forget to make a fabulous soup stock out of the carcass and bones.  You’ll need that for my next post.

1 whole chicken, about three pouunds, trussed

kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 425 F. Place the chicken in a cast iron fry pan or other heavy baking pan. Season all over with kosher salt and pepper.  Roast the bird for an hour.  Yes, it’s that difficult.  Let it rest for 15 minutes then remove one breast of the chicken and chop into cubes for your pizza.

Pesto

This is an ages-old recipe but I really like to add a little fresh squeezed lemon juice to mine for an extra little zing.

1 bunch fresh basil (about 1-1/2  to 2 cups, loosely packed)

1/2 cup olive oil or extra virgin olive oil

1 clove garlic, peeled

1/4 cup pine nuts

Juice of 1/4 lemon

3/4 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese

pinch each of salt and pepper

In a dry fry pan over medium low heat, lightly toast the pine nuts until they just begin to brown, tossing often.  Place the basil, half the olive oil, the garlic, pine nuts and lemon juice in a small food processor or blender and blend til just smooth. Remove to a bowl, add the rest of the olive oil and the parmesan cheese.  Stir to combine.

Pizza dough

I use a stand mixer to do this but if you don’t have one, roll up your sleeves and get a bowl and a wooden spoon!

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup milk

good pinch sugar

1 tbsp dry active yeast (I prefer traditional for taste but quick-rise will also work)

good pinch salt

2 cups or so of flour (I prefer one third “00″ flour and two thirds all purpose)

2 tablespoons olive oil

Combine the water and milk and microwave it until it’s at 115 F in temperature, about a minute.   Add the sugar and stir to dissolve, then add the yeast.  Let stand for five minutes to proof.  Add the “00″ flour to your mixer bowl and half of the all purpose flour.   Add the salt, the yeast-water mixture and the olive oil and mix with the flat beater for a couple of minutes on slow speed.   Switch to the dough blade, add a little flour to the mix and start mixing, again on slow speed.  Add a bit more flour at a time as the dough consumes it until you have a smooth dough.  Remove to a floured work surface and knead the dough for a few seconds to shape it to a smooth ball.   Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place like Mexico or in the oven with just the light on for about an hour.  The dough can now be split in two for two big pizzas or in three for three smaller pizzas (or 20 for pizza bite thingys – use your imagination).  Let rise another 30 minutes to an hour, covered and you’re ready to roll.  Preheat your oven to 500 F, preferably with a pizza stone in it.   Roll out your pizza dough, preferably with only your hands but a rolling pin will work.  It’s easier to make a ridged crust when using just your hands.  Assemble your pizza on the pizza peel (that wooden paddle that probably came with your pizza stone) by spreading pesto on the pizza then adding the chicken.  Slide the pizza directly onto the pizza stone and cook until just golden around the edge of the crust, about 6 to 8 minutes.  Let cool, cut and ram into face.  Or give to your five year old, whatever seems like the right thing to do.

Alexandra dives in!