March 2000

Discovering Potato Pizza

What's the best thing to put on pizza? Whatever you're in the mood for. During our latest winter rainstorm, I was in the mood for potatoes, and at the same time wanted to bake pizza. Now here's the great thing about being the cook in your house: you can have whatever you like.

I stirred up some pizza dough, and thought about the potatoes. I didn't want them wet and gooey, but on the other hand they couldn't be too dry. I cut them up, chopped some onion, and sautéed everything in olive oil. When the potatoes and onions were starting to brown, I added some water, covered the pan, and let them steam for a while, giving them a stir now and then. The result was something like cottage fries that had been softened up, slightly mushy but still in pieces. It looked like pizza sauce to me.

I rolled that potato flavor around in my mind to decide what would be tasty with it, and came up with fresh white farmer cheese (or queso fresco, in this case), artichoke hearts, and juicy, black Greek olives. I used the marinated artichoke hearts that you can get in jars, which made it easy and added just the right touch of piquancy.

My potato pizza was superb, I'm happy to say. It was hearty and filling but not greasy or heavy, and perfect with a glass of red wine. We ate most of it hot, and a leftover piece was devoured by a houseguest as a midnight snack.

I liked it so much that I thought about variations. I made another batch a few days later, using goat cheese instead of farmer cheese, and adding some sundried tomatoes. I also tried chopped spinach sautéed with garlic, and made a note to try whole cloves of softly roasted garlic. I started thinking of the potato and white cheese combination as a foundation for almost any topping.

We don't make pizza at home very often because it's so easy to pick up the phone and order one. That's a shame, because what you get when you make your own is something quite different from what the pizza boy brings. It's truly customized, with your kind of crust, and your flavors. Mine are always surprisingly light compared to the commercial product, which makes me wonder how much oil they pour on at the pizza places. A homemade pizza is also made from really fresh ingredients. And then there's the fun of doing it, something that can be shared with friends or with kids.

Making pizza is not difficult. The thing most people fear is making a yeast dough, but it's not complicated, and very satisfying to do. My advice: get over it. Plunge your hands into that dough, knead it, and relax.

Once that bridge has been crossed, the rest is a party. You'll devise toppings of your own, just as I did. Try to balance dry things with something moist, and remember that a bit of cheese works wonders in binding everything together.

Also know that you can make perfectly good pizza without any special equipment. It's great to have a pizza stone, or a peel, or a wood-fired oven, but I have none of those things and have made good pizzas anyway. Using your regular household oven, preheated to its highest temperature, and your plain old cookie sheets, you will turn out a tasty pizza. When you've done a few of those, and you decide you want to do a lot more, then you can invest in the stone and the peel.

Most home ovens will heat up to about 500°, maybe a little more. Usually we don't bake at such high temperatures, so pay extra attention to this part. Pre-set your racks. Then pre-heat the oven thoroughly. Use good pot holders or mitts. And when you put the pizza in the oven, check it after the minimum time, because at these temperatures things can change fast.

Now that I've feasted on potato pizza, I'm thinking about pizza with winter squash and smoked mozarella. And pizza with caramelized onions and fennel. And even tomato pizza - I know it's been done, but I might do it again, my way.

Look in "new recipes" for Potato Pizza. Try it with a salad of early spring greens, or a bowl of green soup, for a delicious March supper. What the heck, have it for St. Patrick's Day with a glass of green beer!

March 2000 recipe