Some people burn sage to cleanse my home of any lingering negative spirits. I, ever the multitasker, make chicken, mushroom, and sage pizza.
One of the best ways to lay claim to a new space is to create something new inside it. And although this was technically the sixth or so meal I made in my new kitchen, it's the first one I developed all on my own.
My arms felt strange kneading the pizza dough on higher (standard height!) counters. Instinctively, I kept my elbows tight to my sides while sautéeing the chicken and mushrooms at the stove—my muscle memory still accustomed to the old house's narrow oven alcove. More than a few times, I opened the cabinet under the sink without looking and dumped the sink drain contents onto my collection of cleaning supplies, forgetting that the adult-size trash can we finally have room for is on the other side of the room. And the pizza came out a little crispier than I had hoped, because this new gas oven actually reaches—and holds—temperature. (Fun fact: leaving the oven door open a crack while broiling is a great way to melt the hinges on plastic baby proof oven knob covers.)
In my take on sage burning, or smudging, three waves of sage (minced and cooked with the chicken and mushrooms, then baked, then a few whole leaves fried in butter) wafted through the house. I don't know that I believe in the whole lingering negative spirit thing, but I added some garlic, too, just in case. You can never be too safe.
Chicken, Mushroom, and Sage Pizza
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
- 1 large garlic clove minced or pressed
- 1 small shallot finely chopped
- ½ pound ground chicken
- 4 ounces cremini mushrooms stemmed and sliced
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage
- 1 (14- to 16-ounce) ball pizza dough
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon sweet paprika
- ½ cup grated Gruyere cheese
- ¼ cup heavy cream, divided
- ¼ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
- 4 whole sage leaves
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 500°F (if using a baking sheet) or as high as it will go (if using a baking stone/steel; place the stone in the top third or place the steel in the bottom third of the oven before you start preheating). Let the oven preheat for at least 30 minutes. Then, if you’re using a baking stone or steel, switch the oven to Broil on high.
- Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and shallot and cook just until they soften a bit, about 2 minutes, then add the ground chicken, mushrooms, chopped sage, a hefty pinch of salt, and a few grinds of pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, just until the chicken is no longer pink (3 to 5 minutes). Remove the skillet from the heat and scoop the chicken-mushroom mixture onto a paper towel–lined plate.
- Stretch or roll out your dough to a 12- to 14-inch circle, then transfer it to a baking sheet / pizza pan or a lightly floured pizza peel (if using a baking stone/steel).
- Prick the dough all over with a fork (to prevent big bubbles from forming in the center as it bakes), then brush it lightly with olive oil, making sure to get all the way to the edges. Sprinkle with the paprika and a big pinch of salt, and scatter on the chicken-mushroom mixture, spreading it out evenly and leaving a ½-inch border all around. Top with the gruyere, drizzle with half of the cream, and finish with the parmesan.
- Transfer the pizza to the oven and bake until the crust is golden and the cheese has browned in spots—8 to 10 minutes on the baking sheet, 5 to 8 minutes on the baking stone/steel.
- While the pizza bakes, melt the remaining tablespoon of butter in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add the whole sage leaves and fry without stirring for a few minutes, just until they curl and crisp up. Turn off the heat and transfer the fried sage leaves to a paper towel.
- As soon as you take the pizza out of the oven, drizzle it with the remaining 2 tablespoons of cream and crumble the fried sage leaves over top. Wait a few minutes, so the cream congeals into a magic white sauce; slice and serve.
Looking for more cozy, autumnal recipes? Check out the fall pizza archives!
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