If you haven’t tried making pizza in a cast iron skillet you are in for a wonderful surprise. I usually begin with store bought pizza dough so making the pizza is a breeze.
I begin cooking it on top of the stove and finish it in the oven, ensuring a beautifully crispy crust with a soft and tender interior. A cast iron skillet is essential because it retains the heat like no other pan. For more detailed information see Cast Iron Pizza with Chicken Sausage & Olives, Click here.
Karl and I have only ventured to 2 restaurants during this pandemic. The second one was a week ago and we sat outside, nowhere near anyone, and was served a pizza that we thought the best we’d ever had. I couldn’t wait to get home and make itHere is my version which turned out pretty close. Since most of the work is in caramelizing the onions, I doubled the onion recipe, so I can make the pizza again soon. With these wonderful topping ingredients, how can you go wrong?
To caramelize onions: There are two ways to slice an onion. Cut in half from root to tip. Cut a V in the half and slice lengthwise or crosswise. Both ways work fine as long as the slices are 1/4-inch thick. Make sure to cut them as uniformly as possible so they cook evenly.
Melt butter and oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and a pinch of kosher salt and cook until onions begin to soften and release their liquid, about 5 minutes. Lower heat and cook, stirring often, until onions are soft.
Cook for about 30 to 40 minutes until onions are soft and golden brown. Deglaze the pan with 1 tablespoon balsamic. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes more.
Rub both sides of dough with olive oil and press into a 10 to 12-inch circle, depending on the size of your skillet.
Transfer dough to your skillet and push it onto sides with a spoon. Spread caramelized onions over dough, leaving a 1-inch border.
Top with fontina and gorgonzola.
Layer figs over cheese and top with strips of prosciutto. Cook over medium heat until the bottom is just starting to brown when you peek underneath it, about 3 minutes.
Transfer to a 450 degree oven and bake until the cheese is bubbling and the crust is golden around edges, 10 to 14 minutes. Remove and top with greens.
Fig, Prosciutto & Gorgonzola Pizza
Onions
1 large yellow onion
2 teaspoons butter
2 teaspoons vegetable oil, such as canola
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Pizza
10 oz. pizza dough for a 10-inch cast iron skillet; 14 to 16 oz. for a 12-inch skillet, at room temperature for at least 45 minutes
2 teaspoons olive oil for drizzling dough
4 ounces shredded Fontina
1 -1/2 to 2 ounces crumbled Gorgonzola
5 to 6 fresh black figs, sliced
2 to 3 slices Prosciutto di Parma, torn into slices
1/4 cup baby arugula or other baby greens
Black pepper, optional
1. To caramelize onions: Slice the onion lengthwise i half (root end to tip). Cut the root out of each half by trimming a “v” shape around the solid white area. Remove and discard the onion peels. Slice onion halves lengthwise into 1/4-inch tick slices. Or slice crosswise. Make sure your onions are sliced as uniformly as possible so the caramelize evenly. Separate the layers .
2. Melt butter and oil over medium-high heat until foaming subsides. Add onions and a pinch of salt and cook until onions begin to soften and release their liquid, about 5 minutes.
3. Lower heat and cook, stirring often, until onions are soft and golden brown, about 30 to 40 minutes longer. Deglaze the pan with the balsamic and cook, stirring for 1 to 2 more minutes.
To make ahead: Caramelized onions can be refrigerated for several days for frozen,
4. To make pizza: Place rack in top-most position and preheat oven to 450 degrees.
5. Drizzle dough with olive oil coating both sides. Press out dough into a 10 to 12-inch circle, depending on the size of your skillet. Transfer the dough to your skillet. Press into sides of pan, using a spoon to help extend it to the edges. Layer with onions, Fontina, Gorgonzola, figs and prosciutto.
6. Heat on medium heat until the bottom is pale golden when you peek underneath it, about 3 minutes. It will continue to brown in the oven,
7. Transfer skillet to the oven and bake the pizza on top rack until crust is golden brown around the edges and cheese is browned in spots and bubbling., 10 to 14 minutes.
8. Cool 5 minutes then top with greens and serve.
Makes 6 to 8 slices.
