What food goes perfectly with a game day party other than pizza? We can’t think of many things. Pizza is something that everyone loves and is always a great way to feed a crowd without breaking the bank. How does that sound for this week’s tailgating recipe? And we’re not talking about the store bought kind that’s delivered to your door! Sure, it would save some time and effort in the kitchen but why do that when it’s so easy to throw together your own special pizza? And you know it’ll taste even better piping hot and fresh straight out of the oven. For those who already have meat or wings on the menu, a homemade mushroom pizza is an incredible meatless addition to any tailgating party. Now we’re not talking about just any ordinary mushrooms. Wild mushrooms give this pizza an robust, earthy flavor thats can’t be replicated anywhere else. Fresh wild mushrooms are hard to come by but Melissa’s Dried Mushroom selection makes this recipe possible. You can use just about any wild mushroom you’d like but we find the delicate, nutty flavors of Chanterelles and succulent, woodsy flavor of Porcini Mushrooms make for one dynamite pizza! A generous drizzle of truffle oil, though not entirely necessary, adds the final touch to this newly appointed tailgating favorite.
There’s a certain special earthiness found only in wild mushrooms. Foraging for mushrooms takes practical skill and not everyone can just head to the woods to find them. There are thousands of varieties out there, some of which are quite popular in the kitchen. Melissa’s brings to you some of the most popular varieties in dried form so that you too can use them your favorite recipes. Dried mushrooms are not only a wonderful alternative to fresh mushrooms but economically friendly as well. To use them, all you need to do is reconstitute them is to blanch them in boiling water for 2 to 5 minutes or soak them in lukewarm water or wine. You can even reserve the remaining liquid to add flavor to your dishes. Some of our favorites include the highly coveted Chanterelles and hard to find Morel Mushrooms. We also have varieties you may not have heard of but should definitely try such as Wild Lobster Mushrooms, which are simply fabulous in vegetable sautés, soups, entrees and rice dishes. And if you’re unfamiliar with wild mushrooms, our Gourmet Mushrooms Variety Pack is perfect to do some sampling and include Dried Chanterelles, Dried Morels and Dried Porcini Mushrooms. What other recipes would you like to make with them?
Wild Mushroom Pizza
Yields: 1 10-inch pizza
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb of pizza dough
- 2 lbs of dried mushrooms (Dried Chanterelles, Dried Morel Mushrooms, Dried Oysters Mushrooms, Dried Porcini Mushrooms, Dried Portabello Mushrooms)
- 3 onions, sliced thin
- 6 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 cups of Fontina cheese, grated
- 1 cup of fresh mozzarella cheese, grated
- 2 cups of dried white wine
- 7 tablespoons of butter, divided
- 2 tablespoons plus 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 2 tablespoons of shallots, minced
- 1 tablespoon of rosemary, chopped
- Truffle oil, optional
- Salt and pepper, to taste
1. Melt 3 tablespoons of butter with 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat and saute for around 20 minutes until the onions are softened and turning golden. Season with salt and pepper.
2. While the onions are cooking, prepare the mushrooms as well. In a large skillet, melt 4 tablespoons of butter with 1 teaspoon of olive oil over medium high heat and saute the mushrooms, shallots and garlic for around 4 minutes.
3. Add the white wine and simmer while stirring until all of the liquid is cooked off for around 10 to 12 minutes. Add the rosemary and season with salt and pepper.
4. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. On a floured surface, roll out your pizza dough to a thin rounded shape. Place the dough onto an oiled baking sheet and drizzle with more olive oil.
5. Bake in the oven for around 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the mozzarella and fontina cheese, mushrooms, onions, garlic and shallots. Place the pizza back into the oven for another 8 to 10 minutes until the cheese has melted and become bubbly.
6. Remove from the heat to cool for a couple of minutes. Drizzle on some truffle oil (optional). Slice into wedges and serve while hot.