I found these amazing Japanese eggplant at the farmers market. I took some initiative and surprised him by putting it in some of his favorite dishes. He didn't even notice until I mentioned the ingredients!
This week I was feeling kind of inspired to try something new. This recipe will work best if you use the Japanese eggplant compared to the American version, as they are more firm and will hold their shape better on a pizza.
There is a bit of time preperation for this recipe. So I recommend preparing some ingredients the day before hand or on a day off when you have some leisure. Read through the whole recipe before starting.
Enjoy food with curiosity!
Main Ingredients needed:
Whole garlic bulbs, red bell peppers, japanese eggplant, sesame seeds, fresh cilantro, parsley,
hoisin sauce, braggs or soysauce, chili flakes, honey, tamarind paste, boccacini mozzarella,
fresh parmasan, corn meal.
Roasted Garlic
I like to roast about 6-8 bulbs at a time so I always have some on hand.
But if you are starting some for this recipe, start with preheating your oven to 350'c.
Take your garlic bulbs and make a straight cut off the top of the bulbs. Lay the root side of the bulbs flat in a loaf dish or small frying pan and drizzle olive oil in the center of each bulb. And bake for about 45 -1 hour. Until golden brown. Wait until they cool, and just squeeze them out of their shells.
Roasted Bell Peppers
These peppers are something else you might want more of on hand.
You can use red, orange or yellow peppers as well, but I wouldn't recommend green, as they are not as sweet. You can also buy roasted peppers, but I can promise you they won't be as sweet as roasting them yourself.
Roasting bell peppers you can do on the stove element if you have a gas stove, on the BBQ or in the the oven on broil. I did them in the oven, in a loaf pan. At 450'c for about 15 mins. You want the skin to look charred. And be sure to turn the peppers over to ensure even cooking. Once they look charred evenly around the pepper, take out of the oven, and put in a sealed container until they start to sweat. Once they have cooled down, you can simply just peel off the skin, and slice into strips.
Marinade for Eggplant.
1 tsp tamarind paste if you have it, or honey
1tbs hoisin sauce
1 tbs braggs or soysauce
1/2 tsp chili flakes
2-3 tbs water
Recipe is only enough for 1/4 of the eggplant. Cut the eggplant into thin half moon pieces or quartered pieces and marinade in a tupperware container for at least 6 hours. You will probably have to shake it up every couple of hours to ensure all the eggplant gets some flavor.
Pizza Dough
3/4 c water
1 tsp honey
1 tbs yeast
1/4 tsp seasalt
2 cups flour
cornmeal or cornmeal flour for rolling
I am always so disappointed whenever I come across a recipe for homemade pizza, to find they used a store bought pizza dough, when its so easy to make!
You can use a bread maker on the dough timer. Or by hand, kneading the dough in a warm kitchen and letting it rise naturally. Will take about an 1+ 1/2 hours.
Pizza Sauce
1/2 tbs terriaki
1 tbs hoisin
1 tbs braggs or soy sauce
1/2 tbsp honey
Mix all ingredients together then brush a light layer over the pizza dough.
Sprinkle dough with toasted sesame seeds
Top the rest of your pizza with the remaining toppings with exception of cilantro and bake at 350'c for 15-20 mins or until the crust looks golden brown. Top with the fresh cilantro and more sesame seeds just before you serve it.
I know it does take a lot of time for preperation, but I promise it will be a hit even with the non-believers! This meal disappeared even before I could take pictures ! So I had to make another one the next day. :)
Enjoy!
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| (raw pizza) |
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| (baked pizza) |
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