Potato, Mushroom & Ham Pizza

From the Blog For Love of the Table

6 to 7 oz. New, small Yukon or baby Dutch potatoes, well-scrubbed

Olive oil

4 oz. mushrooms, sliced 1/4-inch thick

1 clove of garlic, minced

2 oz. ham, sliced 1/4-inch thick and cut into 1-inch batonettes

a generous tablespoon of minced Italian flat-leaf parsley

pinch of red pepper flakes

5 oz. coarsely grated cheese (I used a mix of 3 oz. Gruyère and 2 oz. Goat Gouda)

Pizza dough for one pizza (see below)

Place the potatoes in a small saucepan and cover with salted water. Bring to a simmer and cook until tender when pierced with the tip of a knife. Drain and set aside until cool enough to handle.

While the potatoes cook, heat a medium sauté pan over moderately high heat. Add oil to coat the pan (about a tablespoon). When the oil is hot, add the mushrooms. Sauté, regulating the heat to maintain an active sizzle, until the mushrooms are browned and tender—about 5 minutes. If the mushrooms seem dry, add a bit more oil. Season with salt & pepper, reduce the heat slightly and add the ham. Cook until the ham is sizzling and any water it has released has evaporated—it will begin to turn golden in spots. Add the garlic, parsley and pepper flakes and cook briefly—just until fragrant. Remove from the heat.

Peel the potatoes and slice 1/4-inch thick. Place in a small bowl and toss with a drizzle of olive oil. Taste and salt if necessary.

Build the pizza: Roll or stretch the pizza dough out into a 12- to 14-inch round and transfer to a floured baking sheet, pizza pan or peel. Brush the dough round with 2 to 3 t. olive oil. Scatter half of the cheese over the dough. Scatter the potatoes over the cheese, followed by the mushroom mixture and then the remaining cheese.

Bake the pizza: If using a pizza pan or baking sheet, place the pizza in the pan on a pre-heated pizza stone in a pre-heated 500° oven. Bake until the crust is golden brown on the bottom and the cheese is tinged with golden brown, about 12 to 15 minutes. To insure a crisp crust, slide the pizza off of the pan and onto the pizza stone as soon as the crust is set (after 4 or 5 minutes).

If using a peel, slide the pizza directly onto the preheated baking stone. Bake until the crust is golden brown on the bottom and the cheese is tinged a golden brown color—about 8 to 12 minutes.

When the pizza is done, transfer to a cutting board and cut into wedges and serve.

http://www.forloveofthetable.com/2014/04/leftover-hamin-potato-gratinand-on.html

As published on forloveofthetable.com