Caramelized Onion Walnut And Goat Cheese Pizza With A Beer Crust Recipes

CARAMELIZED ONIONS, APPLE, WALNUTS AND GOAT CHEESE PIZZA

Steps:

• Onions and Apples -- In a large non stick skillet on medium high heat, add the butter, olive oil, onions and start to caramelize. Cook about 5 minutes until they start to brown. Then add the apples, thyme, salt and pepper to taste and cook for approximately 20 minutes until the apples get very soft and brown and almost appear to melt "spreadable.".
• Crust -- I use a baking sheet for this and spray with Pam. Then spread out and lightly roll the pizza dough into a rectangle to fit in the baking pan. Make sure to press the dough out and then prick with a fork all over the crust. This will prevent the crust from "puffing up" or "bubbling" when you cook it. I mix the olive oil, garlic and pepper and brush over the top of the crust and cook at 425 for about 10-12 minutes until it gets slightly brown. Remove from the oven and slightly cool.
• Topping -- Spread the apple onion mixture over crust and garnish with the goat cheese and walnuts fine chopped.
• Broil -- I like to broil the pizza for just 3-5 minutes on the middle rack until the cheese starts to soften and melt.
• Serve -- Cut into squares and serve along side a salad or with any grilled dish. It is a great savory/sweet appetizer or starter dish.

CARAMELIZED ONION, WALNUT, AND GOAT CHEESE PIZZA WITH A BEER CRUST

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large skillet or stockpot over medium heat. Add the onions and a generous seasoning of salt and pepper. Toss to coat well, then cover the pan. Cook, tossing occasionally, until the onions are very soft and are caramel brown all over. After the first 10 minutes or so of cooking, you will have to lower the heat to prevent sticking. The onions need to be cooked slowly over low heat in order to caramelize properly; this will take about 45 minutes. By cooking them covered, you can use less oil to achieve this. Remove the cover from the pan, then add the walnuts. Cook 5 minutes, tossing frequently. Remove the onions from the heat and let cool.
• To make the crust, preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl and mix thoroughly. Pour in the beer and mix well. The dough will be sticky. Spread a handful of flour on your work surface and dump the dough onto it. Toss the dough around to coat it with the flour and prevent it from sticking. Knead it 2 or 3 times to make it pliable. Shape the dough into a ball, then divide it in two.
• Grease 2 baking sheets. Use a rolling pin to roll each ball into an 11 or 12 inch circle. Spread half the onion mixture onto each pizza. Sprinkle the crumbled goat cheese all over each pizza. I like to cook one pizza at a time, but you can cook the pizzas on 2 different oven racks and alternate them halfway through the cooking. Bake 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown on top or underneath