fig, brie, and caramelized shallot pizza
I seem to be starting many weeks lately with pizza, and I’m not about to complain.
Quick and easy for Tuesday snackage. I bake pizzas most weekends because it’s a nice, lowkey treat after a longer workout session and for lounging around watching football (nowadays) or baseball. Pizza feels like recovery food. Down home comfort food. Something to grab and enjoy when the mind isn’t quite right.
Not that I vouch for eating pizza every damn day. There’s a thing called moderation, and I do believe in it, while definitions vary from person to person, outlet to outlet, lifestyle to lifestyle. Despite my propensity for treats both sweet and savory, I do believe in a balanced lifestyle. Coupling the pizza with the salad, you know?
This pie is unique, perfect for this awkward transition from summer to fall. Sweet fig jam, gooey brie, and crunchy blistered shallots. Topped with a slap of peppery arugula, because green. The shallots take a little time on the stovetop, but once those are done the pizza is a breeze to bake up and have ready for dinner or a rando evening snack.
Hell, if you’ve got adventurous football watching pals, add this to your gameday platter. You might have a few figgy converts on your hands.
Caramelo
Caramelizing any kind of onion or onionesque thing is a real treat. And these shallots? I could eat ’em like some convoluted candy.
Unless you’re making homemade pizza dough, this is your most time consuming part, so start with the shallots. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and sear in a skillet for awhile until the bottoms turn a deep, rich brown, then stir around with some oregano. The herb infuses just a little with the shallots for an earthy depth to their already-prevalent excellence.
Put Your Top On
Assembling the pizza is fucken easy. You probably don’t even need me to tell you how to do it, but I will anyway.
I always write in to use a baking sheet with pizza, but if you have another method you enjoy (stone, peel, etc.) please go for it. A baking sheet is usually the most accessible for people, which is why I standardize my pizza recipes with such.
Break your pound of dough in half so you can make two good sized little pies. Roll one out onto your baking sheet (or whatver) to cover about 10 inches in diameter. Poke the dough all around and brush with olive oil. Bakey bakey for a few minutes to set the crust so it doesn’t collapse and get weird from the toppings you’ll be adding in a minute.
Okay. A minute is up. Time to assemble the pizza.
Fig jam gives a nice little tinge of sweet to the pizza. Spread a bit on the bottom, then top with slices of brie. Arrange the shallots overtop. I’ll usually sprinkle with a little pepper here.
Bake the pizza for a little longer to melt the cheese and give the crust a good crispin’. Then, repeat all these steps with your second slab o’ dough and the rest of the toppings.
The final (and optional) step is a bit of arugula on top. I just toss mine with olive oil, season with a little salt, pepper, and pepper flakes, and dust it over the finished pie. I think it just looks so pretty with this garnish.
Simple and supple. My kind of weeknight fare, especially in the autumn time, when I enjoy playing with different flavors. Shallots are a dream in dishes during this season. Seriously, you might dream about them. In weird ways. I don’t wanna hear about that.
Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
More pizza, less problems:
Olive Cheese Pizza with Feta Stuffed Crust
Herb Roasted Cherry Tomato Pesto Pizza
fig, brie, and caramelized shallot pizza
Ingredients
- 8 shallots, halved
- 4 sprigs fresh oregano
- 1 lb pizza dough, homemade or store bought
- 1/3 cup fig preserves
- 8 oz brie
- 1 cup fresh arugula
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Sprinkle a large baking sheet with cornmeal.
- Season the cut halves of the shallots with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium. Place the shallots cut side down in the skillet and cook undisturbed for 8-10 minutes. Stir in the oregano, then saute 5 minutes more. Move to a plate. Discard the oregano sprigs.
- Halve the pizza dough into two rounds. Working one at a time, push and spread on the baking sheet to create about a 10 inch circle. Brush with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and prick all over with a fork. Set in the oven to parbake for 5-6 minutes until lightly golden and puffy.
- Spread half of the listed fig preserves onto the parbaked crust. Arrange half of the brie slices, then half of the shallots. Return to the oven and bake an extra 6-8 minutes until the brie melts and is gooey.
- Repeat with the second ball of pizza dough with the remaining toppings.
- Toss the arugula with 1 teaspoon olive oil and the red pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper. Spread over the warm pizza. Slice and serve!
