Caramelized Onion, Mushroom and Brie Pizza

I couldn’t resist the gorgeous chanterelle mushrooms at the farmers’ market last week. The cool, crisp days and the wild mushrooms signal it is time to return to heartier cooking. In fall, I love to sauté earthy chanterelles, and then add them to soups, heap them on toasted rustic bread or sautéed chicken breasts, or fold them into a risotto. But a favorite preparation is a topping for pizza. 

Caramelized onions, chunks of ripe Brie cheese, and the lush mushrooms, baked atop a simple crust turn into an irresistibly fragrant pizza. It was a perfect Friday night, end of the week celebration dinner. For a very satisfying, but less luxurious version, shiitake mushrooms, crimini, or even button mushrooms can replace the chanterelles.

I created this recipe last fall, and it will appear in my new cookbook Weeknight Fresh and Fast, due out in Williams-Sonoma stores in January. But, the chanterelles are so good right now; I couldn’t wait until January to savor this gooey pizza again.

To put together the pie quickly after work, I use fresh, prepared pizza dough. Look for it at Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, or my favorite- the Wolf Gang Puck counter at Gelson’s markets. These fresh doughs are tastier and are made with healthier ingredients than the mass produced products that are sold frozen, prebaked, or packaged in tubes. I picked up the dough on my way home from the farmers’ market and refrigerated it until I wanted to use it a couple of days later.

Friday night was the first time I turned on my oven in months, and to honor fall properly, we enjoyed the aromatic, richly flavored pizza in front of our first fire of the season.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Caramelized Onion, Mushrooms, and Brie Pizza

Makes 1 pizza; 4 servings

3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more oil as needed
2 large onions, halved and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
Coarse kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
¼ cup dry white wine
8 oz chanterelle, shiitake, crimini, or button mushrooms, sliced
1 large shallot, minced
1 tablespoons minced fresh Italian parley, plus more parsley for garnish
Cornmeal
1 pound pizza crust dough
4 oz Brie cheese, crust trimmed, cut into small pieces

Preheat the oven to 425°F. In a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, warm 1½ tablespoons of the oil. Add the onions and rosemary. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and sauté until golden, about 20 minutes. Add the wine and simmer until evaporated, about 1 minute. Transfer the onions to a bowl. Wipe out the skillet, set over medium-high heat, and warm 1½ tablespoons of the oil. Add the mushrooms and shallot. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and sauté until the mushrooms are tender and juices evaporate, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Mix in 1 tablespoon parsley

Brush a large baking sheet with oil and sprinkle with cornmeal. On a floured surface, roll out the crust to a 10–11-inch round. Transfer the crust to the baking sheet. Brush the crust with oil. Spread the onions and then the mushrooms over the crust, leaving a boarder. Sprinkle with the cheese. Bake until the crust browns and the cheese melts, 12–15 minutes. Transfer the pizza to a cutting board. Cut into wedges. Sprinkle with parsley and serve right away.

Leftovers

If you are serving 2 people, refrigerate the leftover pizza for another night. To warm, place on a baking sheet, cover with foil, and heat in a 400°F oven for about 10 minutes.

Tags: brie cheese , caramelized onions , chanterelles , mushrooms , pizza

Categories: Leftovers, Meatless/Almost Meatless , Recipes, Weeknight Dinners