Steps to make a grilled pizza with the recipe for THIN CRUSTED PIZZA W CHICKEN, KALAMATA OLIVES AND FONTINA CHEESE

Steps to make a grilled pizza with the recipe for THIN CRUSTED PIZZA W 

CHICKEN, KALAMATA OLIVES AND FONTINA CHEESE

by Skip Graden on Wednesday ·

This is a pizza that I made in American Regional Cooking with Chef David Rell last semester.  We grill marked and par-cooked the crust and finished them in a 450 degree BKI Oven. 

You can top a pizza a lot of ways:  Follow this recipe, Sausage, Peperoni, Cheese, Pepperoni & Sausage, Vegetables,  Pesto Red Onion Shrimp & Baby Bella's, etc...

THIN CRUSTED PIZZA WITH CHICKEN, KALAMATA OLIVES AND FONTINA CHEESE

THIN CRUSTED PIZZA WITH CHICKEN, KALAMATA OLIVES AND FONTINA CHEESE

Yield:  4 8-inch Pizzas

For the Dough: (Best to make the day before.)

INGREDIENTS

1 ea          Envelope active dry yeast

1/2 tsp      Sugar

2/3 cup      Warm water

2 to 3 cup  All-purpose flour

1 tsp          Kosher salt or Sea Salt

1 tsp          Freshly ground pepper

2 tblsp       Olive oil, plus olive oil for brushing crust

For the Topping:

INGREDIENTS

3 cups   Thinly sliced grilled chicken meat

3/4 cup  Sliced, pitted kalamata olives

4 cups    Shredded fontina cheese

1 cup      Thinly sliced red onion

2 tblsp    Finely chopped fresh parsley

THIN CRUSTED PIZZA WITH CHICKEN, KALAMATA OLIVES AND FONTINA CHEESE

METHOD:

1. For dough: In a medium bowl, combine yeast, sugar, and water. Stir briefly and let stand until foamy, 5-10 minutes. Add 2 cups flour, the salt, pepper, and 2 tblsp olive oil. Stir together with your fingers, until the dough holds together. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth, 8 to 10 minutes. Shape into a ball and place in a lightly oiled bowl. Turn the ball to cover the surface with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set in warm place until the dough doubles in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
2. Punch down the dough in the bowl. Transfer it to a lightly floured work surface and cut into 4 equal pieces. Roll out each piece into an 8-inch round about an 1/8 inch thick. Lightly brush both sides of each round with olive oil and place rounds on baking sheet.
3. Gently slide crust from baking sheet and cook, uncovered, directly over medium heat until grill marks are clearly visible, about 2 minutes. Don't worry if the crust bubbles; they will deflate when you turn them over. Transfer the crust to the baking sheets, with grilled marks facing up.
4. Distribute the chicken, olives, cheese, onion, and parsley evenly among the crusts. Transfer the pizza again from the baking sheet to the grill and cook, covered, directly over medium heat until the crusts are crisp and the cheese is melted, 3 to 4 minutes.

THIN CRUSTED PIZZA WITH CHICKEN, KALAMATA OLIVES AND FONTINA CHEESE

Steps to follow:

Make the Pizza Dough 24 hours before you are going to par cook them.

Once it is par cooked, you can use right away or refrigerated/freeze them wrapped tightly in Saran Wrap or vaccuum packed 3-5 days  refrigerated and 2-3 weeks frozen...

Top of Crust

Bottom of Crust

Top Of Crust, Time to Sauce it...

Add and spread a thin layer of sauce or Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

Add Pepperoni, start with Thin Flat items

Then add Pre-cooked Sausage

Next is cheese

Evenly spread cheese across top

Looks like enough, time to cook it...
(Can be wrapped in Saran Wrap at this point...
Frozen or Refrigerated)

Put it on the grill...

Cover it with a large lid or a stainless steel bowl with a handle.

Checking it and getting ready to turn it...

Turn it every 3-5 minutes a 1/4 to a 1/3 of a turn...

Turn it every 3-5 minutes a 1/4 to a 1/3 of a turn...

Bottom looks about done....

Remove from the grill...

Put on a surface to cut...

Get into position to cut in smooth continuous strokes

Cut in 6-8 pieces...

Cheese is nice and melty...

Check it out...

Bottom looks great...

Enjoy with a beverage of your choice!

Menu board at Schnuck's on Clayton Road in St Louis MO....

Menu board at Schnuck's on Clayton Road in St Louis MO....

Why did the chicken cross the road....

I really do not care (in fact) if I do not see another chicken for a couple days it would make me happy!   Because this past weekend we had a chicken special at work and had 10 cases of chicken to cook off by today. (Sunday)  Our sale price was really good at $6.99 for an 8 piece...

3 cases of Double Hand Breaded Chicken, Schnuck's recipe

Close up of Double Hand Breaded Chicken

Friday, I cooked 2 cases and each case has 4 bags with 32 pieces: 8 Breast, 8 Thighs, 8 Legs, and 8 Wings.        Then Saturday, I cooked 3 cases and then today, my coworker David and myself cooked off 5 cases of chicken.  We fried 3 cases and baked off 2 cases:


David breaded and fried the chicken while I chopped and prepared a mirepoix of Onion, Green Onion, Carrots, and Celery.  Most of the vegetables for the mirepoix were already prepared as we used them from the salad bar.  Though we were out of celery and this I had to prepare.

Once my vegetables were prepared, I took the restaurant pans, sprayed them down with pan release, sprinkled about 3/4 to 1 cup of mirepoix into the bottom of the pans and placed my chicken pieces into the pans.  Due to lack of pan space, I had to crowd the chicken pieces, normally when baking chicken pieces you would leave space between the pieces.

I then put another cup or so of the mirepoix over the chicken with a 1/4 cup of chicken broth and covered the pans with heavy aluminum foil.

 Covering the pans, I then baked them for 40 minutes at 350 degrees farhenhiet and then uncovered the pans and baked an additional 20 minutes.

The recipe that I based my preparation of this Baked Chicken was Roast Chicken with Pan Gravy.  Starting with my Mirepoix of Onion, Green Onion, Carrots, Celery and freeze dried parsley.  I added a dusting of the Schnuck's Herb Roasted Chicken Seasoning, more of the mirepoix and a 1/4 cup of chicken broth.

Country Biscuits

My mother asked me about the biscuits from my baking class for culinarian's at St Louis Community College, Forest Park.  These biscuits rose well and were very flaky...

Country Biscuits

On Baking, Pg 147

Yield: 36 Biscuits, 2 ¼ oz. (66g) each

MISE EN PLACE

·         Line a sheet pan (2-3) with parchment paper.

·         Preheat oven to 425 F (220 C)

All Purpose or Pastry Flour     2lb. 8 oz.          1200 g             100%

Salt                                          0.75 oz             24 g                 2%

Granulated Sugar                    2 oz.                 60 g                 5%

Baking Powder                        2 oz.                 60 g                 5%

Unsalted Butter, cold              14 oz.               420 g               35%

Milk                                         1 ½ pt.             720 ml             60%

Total Weight:                          5 lb. 2 oz.         2484 g             207%

1.      Sift the dry ingredients together, making sure they are blended thoroughly.

2.      Cut in the butter. The mixture should look mealy; do not over mix.

3.      Add the milk and stir, combining only until mixture holds together.

4.      Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface; knead until it forms one mass, approximately five or six kneading.

5.      Roll out the dough to a thickness of ½ inch (1.2 centimeters). Cut with a floured cutter and place the biscuits on a paper-lined sheet pan.

6.      Bake at 425 F (220 C) until the tops are light brown, the sides almost white and the interiors still moist, approximately 10-12 minutes. Internal heat will continue to cook the biscuits after they are removed from the oven.

7.      Remove the biscuits to a wire rack to cool.

Approximate values per biscuit: Calories 210. Total Fat 10 g, Saturated Fat 6 g, Cholesterol 25 mg, Sodium 240 mg, Total Carbohydrates 27 g, Protein 4 g, Vitamin A 10%

MANICOTTI WITH RICOTTA FILLING (Italy)

MANICOTTI WITH RICOTTA FILLING (Italy)

Italian Cuisine - Cheese Manacotti and Shrimp Risotto

 — at Stlcc Forest Park.

April 11, 2012

Yield: 4 - 8

INGREDIENTS:

            1 ½ cup           Ricotta

            ¼ cup              Parsley, chopped

            ½ tsp               Salt

            1 ea                  Egg, slightly beaten

            8 ea                  Manicotti shells

            1 cup               Marinara sauce

            ½ cup              Shredded mozzarella cheese

            ¼ cup              Grated parmesan cheese

METHOD

1. Combine ricotta, parsley, salt, and egg; refrigerate.
2. Boil manicotti according to package directions.
3. Drain and cool in cold water.
4. Pour half of marinara sauce into 9” x 9” baking dish.
5. Stuffed drained manicotti with filling and place on sauce on dish.
6. Top with remaining marinara sauce.
7. Scatter mozzarella on manicotti and sprinkle parmesan cheese over top.
8. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 35 to 30 minutes.

SAFFRON RISOTTO WITH SHRIMP and Cheese Manacotti (Italy)

This past weekend, I made Green Onion Risotto and my family really liked it and my sister asked if I had a good risotto recipe.  Thought about it and I made this recipe in class and it was pretty good.   So I think it will fit the bill:

Italian Cuisine - Cheese Manacotti and Shrimp Risotto

 — at Stlcc Forest Park.

April 11, 2012

This is the picture of what we made in class, it pairs well with Cheese Manacotti and White Wine.

SAFFRON RISOTTO WITH SHRIMP (Italy)

Yield:  4 servings

INGREDIENTS:

    

Garlic cloves, minced	2 ea.
Onions, minced	4 oz.
Butter	507;.
Stock, seasoned	2  1/2 pnts
Arborio rice	14 oz.
Bay leaves	2 ea.
Saffron threads, crushed	pinch
Parsley, chopped	3 tblsp.
Parmesan cheese, grated	2 oz.
Shrimp, P&D, tail off, sauteed	1 1/2 lb.
Salt	to taste
Pepper	to taste

Method:

1.                 Sauté garlic and onion in 3 ounces butter

               2.                 Add rice; stir until grains are coated with butter.

               3.                 Add one-third of the stock, stir until rice absorbs liquid.

               4.                 Add bay leaves, saffron, and one-third of stock, continue to stir.

               5.                 Add remaining stock, continue to stir.

6.                 When all liquid is absorbed, add parsley, Parmesan cheese, remaining butter, and           sautéed shrimp.

7.                 Stir rice only enough to mix ingredients. Season with salt and pepper.

Menu of my father's birthday Dinner

Menu of my father's birthday Dinner

By Skip Graden in Multiple Sclerosis and Diet 

The menu was: Grilled Salmon, Green Onion Risotto, Grilled Asparagus, Sweet Corn, a fresh salad with Pinot Noir Vinagrette, and seedless Watermelon. 

Now someone asked me for the recipe for the Green Onion Risotto and also the one for my Pinot Noir Vinaigrette...

I did not really keep to anyone recipe but here was my responses to that question:

This is the recipe that I used for the risotto; (had my son make it while I did other task for the meal and watched over his shoulder.) 

Also added a touch of Shallot and a pinch of Garlic along with finish with a palmful of fresh chopped parsley for additional color. (hope you are able to translate that, as I did not measure them.)

If I were plating this for anyone other than my family the risotto would have been used as a bed for the salmon and asparagus.

Ingredients

4 cups (or more) low-salt chicken broth

2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter

1 bunch green onions, (white parts finely chopped, green parts thinly sliced)

1 cup arborio or medium-grain rice

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons mascarpone cheese or whipping cream (we used Philidelphia Cream Cheese - a little less than 20% of it with a teaaspoon of whole milk)

1 teaspoon finely grated orange peel

Preparation

Bring broth to simmer in medium saucepan over medium heat.

Reduce heat to low and keep warm.

Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat.

Add chopped green onions and cook untilsoft, stirring often, about 6 minutes.

Stir in rice.

Add wine; cook until almost all liquid is absorbed, stirring frequently, about 2 minutes.

Add 4 cups broth, 1 cup at a time, cooking until almost all broth is absorbed before adding more,stirring frequently, until rice is tender but stillfirm, about 20 minutes.

Stir in sliced green onions, Parmesan, mascarpone, and orange peel.

Add more broth by 1/4cupfuls as needed if dry.

Season with salt and pepper.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Green-Onion-Risotto-233936

Pinot Noir Vinaigrette

I used the general rule of thumb as you can see on Wikipedia:

"Vinaigrette generally consists of 3 parts of oil to 1 part of vinegar whisked into an emulsion. Salt and pepper are often added. Herbs and shallots are added, especially when it is used as a sauce for cooked vegetables, grains, and the like. Sometimes mustard is used as an emulsifier."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vinaigrette

I used a combination of Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Vegetable Oil as my mother dislikes the taste of Olive Oil. (I know she is crazy!)

Wine to make up the acid part, along with squeezing a half lemon and orange, plus the orange zest.

Sea Salt & Fresh ground black pepper to taste.

Garlic & Shallots minced along with some green onion.

A dash of minced Dill. (freeze dried)

A teaspoon of light Agave.

A touch of liquid smoke.

and finished it off with a touch of the fresh parsley again. (minced)

I made about 2 cups...

Used it to marinade the Salmon, Asparagus, and as a salad dressing.

5 points if you can tell me what a Aubergine is, without looking it up?