Leek & Egg Pizza
Spring is the season of rebirth, which is how delicate leeks and freshly cracked eggs ended up on my leek and egg pizza. After a long winter, how exciting is it to imagine the world getting green again?!
Together, the two toppings signal not only that warmer weather and colorful flowers are here, but also that this pizza is going to be really, really good.
When you bake eggs on pizza, you leave a little bit to chance. Unlike frying eggs stovetop, when they take center stage in your attention, you have a lot of other components to keep track of here–not least, the dough, which you want to rise up to a golden crust. So, your yolks might be perfectly runny. Or, they might solidify just a bit. Either way, this savory white pizza is worth your while, especially if you’re in charge of Easter brunch this season.
And, since this is a celebration, after all, I paired these elegant yet accessible pizzas with glasses of bright Jackson Estate Camelot Heights Chardonnay.
Because who doesn’t want the opportunity to celebrate spring with pizza and wine?
- 4 small balls of pizza dough (I like this recipe: http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2013/10/lazy-pizza-dough-favorite-margari.... You can also ask for dough at your local pizzeria!)
- 4 large leeks, white part and light green part only, cut in half and finely sliced
- 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
- ¼ cup water
- ¼ cup Jackson Estate Camelot Heights Chardonnay (or another white wine)
- Salt
- 1 cup fresh ricotta
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup minced fresh chives
- First, make the leeks: In a skillet, melt the butter over medium-low heat in a lidded sauté pan or Dutch oven. Add the leeks and sauté for 3 to 5 minutes until translucent. Add the water and wine, then turn the flame down to low, cover and cook for 20 to 25 minutes stirring occasionally, until the leeks are completely soft and beginning to turn to mush. If they seem dry, add a little more Take the lid off and cook uncovered until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 5 more minutes. Season with ½ teaspoon salt. Set aside.
- Now, preheat the oven to 500°F. Stretch out each ball of dough into about an 8-inch round on a cookie sheet. Spread ¼ cup of ricotta over each round, leaving about 1-inch bare as the crust. Scatter a quarter of the leek mixture over the ricotta, forming a well in the middle. Crack an egg into a small prep bowl, then carefully pour the egg into the concavity you made. Gently place the egg into the well. Repeat with the remaining pizza dough.
- Bake pizzas for 10 to 13 minutes, until the crust is golden and the egg whites are cooked. Remove from the oven and immediately scatter on the grated Parmesan and the chives. Rest for 1 minute, then serve.
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