It was getting late, but having had “linner” (that meal you eat after lunchtime but well before dinner) around 3 p.m., a big meal around 8 p.m. was not in the cards. But something savory and earthy in a one-skillet dish to heat up the kitchen did sound enticing.
I have to give credit where it’s due: My sister and mother lent a hand with this hearty, quick pizza, once I convinced them it would work. Mom got to work roasting the cauliflower and sauteing the mushrooms, while my sister took on the role of sommelier, choosing the wines for the evening. The pizza creation went off without a hitch and was perfect for a late-night snack with a couple glasses of wine … and the obligatory game of gin.
I’ll be adding this one to the memory bank as another adventure in successful cooking, drinking wine and card playing with two of my favorite sous chefs.
Chickpea Skillet Pizza 2 to 4 Servings
1 cup chickpea (garbanzo bean) flour
1 tsp. sea salt, divided
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 Tbsp dried herbs of your choice (thyme, basil, parsley, oregano, etc.)
2/3 cup shredded Asiago or Parmesan cheese, divided
6 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
½ small red onion, finely chopped
1 small red pear, thinly sliced
2 cups wild mushrooms, sliced
1/3 cup pine nuts
1 cup arugula
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
• Combine chickpea flour and ¾ cup warm water in medium bowl and whisk until lumps are removed. Stir in ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper, the dried herbs and 1/3 cup cheese. Let the batter sit 30 minutes at room temperature.
• Toss the cauliflower, 2 tablespoons olive oil and ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Place mixture on a baking sheet and roast, stirring frequently, until browned and softened, around 20 to 30 minutes.
• While cauliflower is roasting, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in large skillet. Saute the onions until soft and brown, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the mushrooms and continue to cook until soft and brown, about 10 minutes.
• Add another ¼ cup water to the chickpea batter and stir well.
• Heat a 12-inch cast iron or ovenproof, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. When the oil is hot, pour the batter into skillet and lightly spread it evenly like a pancake (The batter doesn’t need to fill the whole skillet.). Cook 3 to 5 minutes, until small bubbles will appear and the batter starts to pull away from the skillet around the edges. Flip the crust like a pancake and cook another 3 to 5 minutes, until set and firm.
• Preheat the broiler. Cover the pizza with sliced pears and drizzle with a bit of olive oil.
• Broil about 3 minutes to soften the pears. Remove skillet from the oven and spread the sauteed mushrooms, roasted cauliflower, pine nuts and remaining cheese on top. Return the skillet to broiler and cook until the cheese is lightly browned, around 5 minutes.
• Remove the skillet from oven, top with arugula, and serve.
This article appears in February 2014.