This weekend has us celebrating Father's Day and I'm sharing a handful of recipes that score high on my partner's list. Some are more main stream, but my husband is a charmingly weird fella and this first one is right up his alley, but might raise an eyebrow or two. But, if you are a fan of spicy foods, blue cheese, sardines, and pizza … read on!
I made this pizza after having a few tablespoons of specialty ingredients in jars on the door of my refrigerator and I really wanted the space back. Before I knew it, I was looking at my to-use list and I began envisioning a pizza that would bring a smile to my husband's face. While it might be a surprise to you, the oddest addition to this pizza designed for my guy is the cilantro added to the top at the end. You see, he's one of those folks who is generally not a fan of the stuff. I often use it in sauces, spreads, and the like … but fresh tends to meet with his disapproval. However, on this hot pizza with all these wonderfully weird ingredients, it just plays nicely and was a good touch. Again, your mileage may vary.
We demolished this pizza - our teen did not partake because "it's too weird" - and we both agreed that Wonderfully Weird is a great way to describe it. No sides alongside this one, but we did have a couple dark beers - Russian Imperial stouts, if I recall correctly. Because beer with pizza is traditional, even if and maybe especially if your pizza is wonderfully weird. Enjoy!
Wonderfully Weird Pizza
- 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
- Olive oil, for brushing
- 3 tablespoons Divina Calabrian Chili Orange Spread or similar product
- 3 tablespoons Specially Selected Caramelized Red Onion Chutney or similar product
- 1 large pepper section from a jar (16 ounce) roasted red peppers, drained and sliced
- 1 tin of sardines
- ½ cup crumbled blue cheese - I used smoked blue cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Preheat the oven to 450° F.
On a lightly floured surface, roll the puff pastry dough out until it's thin (about a 10-12 inch rectangle). Transfer the dough to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Lightly brush the crust with olive oil.
Mix the calabrian chili orange spread and carmalized red onion chutney together to form a sauce; spread that within the inside of the puff pastry crust on the baking sheet. Arrange the roasted red pepper slices on top. Add the the sardines and blue cheese.
Bake the pizza for 15-20 minutes or until the crust is golden and the cheese is bubbling. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with chopped fresh cilantro and enjoy!
- Yields: 2-4 servings
- Preparation Time: 30 minutes