Kosher Blog

Barbecue “Chicken” Pizza

Here’s the recipe that was published in last week’s Jewish Advocate, a perfectly suitable choice for the Nine Days. In fact, Lightlife’s KOSHER PAREVE Chick’n Strips are remarkably chicken-like in texture, so they may even satisfy your yearning for boneless, skinless chicken breast pieces. (Photo by the inimitable David Levy.)

BARBECUE “CHICKEN” PIZZA
Makes two single-serving pizzas

Notes:
• See our roundup of barbecue sauces to help choose one appropriate for this recipe.
• Refrigerating fresh dough after it’s made helps it develop a better texture, but make sure it’s back at room temperature before using.
• If you can’t slice your onion into very thin rings (I used one of those nifty Japanese ceramic mandolines), saute thicker slices before topping the pizza.
• If you don’t have a pizza stone, don’t buy one. An ideal (and cheap) alternative is covering your oven rack with several unglazed quarry tiles, available at Home Depot.
• If you don’t have a pizza peel, use a baking sheet that’s been turned upside down.

1 package Smart Menu Chick’n Strips (www.lightlife.com)
8 Tbsp. barbecue sauce
1 Tbsp. cornmeal
1 lb. pizza dough, divided into two equal rounds (store-bought works great)
1 small red onion, sliced into rings as thinly as possible
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup shredded cheddar

1. Place pizza stone or tiles on bottom rack of oven, and preheat to 500 degrees.
2. Toss Chick’n Strips in two tablespoons of the barbecue sauce and set aside.
3. On a well-floured surface, spread dough round into thin 10″ circle using your hands or a rolling pin. (Shape isn’t important so long as it’s thin.)
4. Sprinkle half of cornmeal evenly onto pizza peel and lay dough over cornmeal. This will help you slide the pizza into your oven. Lightly prick dough all over to prevent dough from bubbling excessively in oven.
5. Spread 3 tablespoons barbecue sauce over pizza; sauce should just lightly cover dough.
6. Sprinkle 1/4 cup mozzarella over pizza, then about 1/3 cup Chick’n Strips, 1/4 cup cheddar, some red onion slices, and another 1/4 cup mozzarella. (You will likely end up with left-over Chick’n and onion)
7. Slide pizza directly on top of hot stone/tiles and bake for 10 minutes. Pizza will be golden brown around the edges and the cheese very bubbly.
8. Slide pizza back onto peel and remove from oven. Let cool a few minutes and cut into slices.
9. Repeat with remaining ingredients.