So my family was brave enough to suffer through 10 days of Chinese food in January.   I had this crazy idea, that will probably not surprise many who actually know me, that to celebrate the Chinese New Year I would cook Chinese Food and introduce a little Chinese culture to my family.  I say they suffered because I had never cooked Chinese food before.  I say they suffered because it was 10 days of never before attempted Chinese food.  I say they suffered, but they didn’t.  And on day 5, when I thought they might start to suffer, when I thought they might beg me to stop all the madness and cook something from our normal repertoire, I made this crazy pizza for them.  And they were real happy.

Blondie’s Peking Chicken Pizza

• 1 recipe pizza dough
• 2 cups cooked chicken, shredded
• 3 cups mozzarella cheese
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
• 1 yellow or orange pepper, cut into strips
• 3 scallions/green onions, sliced on a diagonal
• 1/4 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
• hoisin sauce
• fried won-ton strips (optional)

Preheat oven to 400F.  Roll out dough into 8″ pizzas, spread with hoisin sauce (I like hoisin and used about 2 tablespoons as a base).  Top with mozzarella, chicken and pepper strips.  Bake on a pizza stone for about 10 minutes or until pizza is browning on bottom and bubbly on top.  Remove from the oven and drizzle with more hoisin sauce, scatter with green onions and cilantro and fried won-ton strips.  Slice and serve.  (Note to self : you are out of won-ton wrappers).

Pizza Dough from Barefoot Contessa Parties

• 1 1/4 cups warm water (100 - 110 degrees)
• 2 packages dry yeast (5 teaspoons)
• 1 Tbl honey
• 3 Tbl good olive oil, plus extra to oil bowl
• 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• corn meal (for pizza peel)

For the dough, combine water, yeast, honey and olive oil in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook.  Add 3 cups flour, then the salt, and mix.  While mixing, add 1 more cup of flour, or enough to make a soft dough (I used 1/3 -1/2 cup).  Knead the dough on low to medium speed for 10 minutes, adding more flour if necessary to keep it from sticking to the bowl.  When the dough is ready, turn it out onto a floured board and knead by hand a dozen times.  It should be smooth and elastic.  Place the dough in a well-oiled bowl and turn it several times to cover it lightly with oil.  Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel.  Allow to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Divide dough into 6 equal parts and roll each one into a smooth ball.  Place the balls on a baking sheet and cover them with a damp towel.  Allow to rest for 10 minutes.

Roll and stretch the ball into a rough 8-inch circle and place them on baking sheets sprinkled with cornmeal.  They are now ready to top.

I have to say that this is currently my favorite pizza.  I have been experimenting with many different pizza doughs, from CPK’s cookbook to different things on-line, but also in a pinch I have used Trader Joe’s ready-made dough, and last year the tube version at the market!  all in anticipation of our pizza oven being completed.  I must say that this is the best dough to date (sorry CPK) it is very uncomplicated (comes together quickly) and rolls real thin, has a nice chew and good flavor.  Next week I will try it with whole-wheat.  I’ll keep you posted…

~Blondie