Potato Pizza?
Pizza was on my mind for my Sept. 22 Journal story, so this recipe caught my eye when it arrived in a press release on behalf of the Idaho Potato Commission.
Potatoes on pizza is probably not an idea most people would come up with on their own, but it’s different, and in this case it’s tasty, thanks to caramelized onions and two cheeses.
Maybe you won’t want to call this pizza, but you will want to eat it.
If you’ve never had potatoes cooked in duck fat, please try it. It rivals bacon fat for sheer pleasure. Of course, feel free to substitute bacon fat, or extra-virgin olive oil.
Potatoes cooked slowly in fat or oil like this are luscious. You may not have the patience, though, in which case I’d recommend slicing them first, then cooking in the fat for 20 minutes or so, until tender. Resist the temptation to turn up the heat or you’ll risk burning the potatoes.
Potato Flatbread Pizza
Recipe adapted from Chef Todd Downs of Food Sense, Inc., in Fort Wayne, Ind., courtesy of the Idaho Potato Commission.
1 quart rendered duck fat (or bacon fat, or olive oil)
1 pound fingerling potatoes
1/4 cup whole garlic cloves, peeled
1 each bay leaves
1/2 ounce fresh thyme sprigs
4 pieces lavash bread (each 8” x 11” )
3/4 pound herb cheese (such as rondele)
3/4 pound yellow onions, peeled, julienned
1 ounce olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, as needed
1 cup Fontina cheese, shredded
1/4 cup fresh rosemary, chopped
1. Place rendered duck fat into a large heavy bottomed pot. Heat over medium heat to 350 degrees. Add the garlic, bay leaf and thyme to the pot.
2. Add the potatoes and cover with a lid leaving the pot partially covered. Lower heat to 200 degrees (low heat)..
3. Cook 2 hours, stirring gently every so often. Remove from heat. Let the potatoes cool in the fat, drain fat from potatoes but reserve the fat.
4. Slice potatoes into 1/4-inch slices, refrigerate until needed. Heat a large heavy skillet over medium high heat. Add 4 ounces of the reserved duck fat, then add the julienned onions, season with salt and pepper, saute stirring frequently until lightly browned.
5. Lower the heat on the onions and cook very slowly, stirring often until very soft and caramelized (about 45 minutes). Remove and cool. Refrigerate until needed.
6. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush the lavash lightly on both sides with the olive oil. Place directly on oven rack and toast until light brown.
7. Heat the herb cheese in a heavy bottomed pot until melted.
8. Place each crust on a clean work surface. Lightly spread about 2 tablespoons of the melted herb cheese on each crust. Top each crust with 4 ounces of the sliced potatoes, then sprinkle with salt, pepper and fresh rosemary. Then top each crust with 1/4 cup of caramelized onions and fontina cheese.
9. Bake the pizzas directly on the oven rack at 400 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden brown Cut each pizza into 8 squares. Serve.
Makes 4 pizzas.
