Recipe provided by | COOKING WITH COCKTAIL RINGS
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE LAMB MERGUEZ SAUSAGE:
1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 pound ground American lamb
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
FOR THE CONFIT TOMATOES:
10 ounces cherry tomatoes
2 shallots, halved
1 head garlic, slightly smashed
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt, as needed
FOR ASSEMBLY:
1 pound pizza dough
All-purpose flour, as needed, for rolling out the dough
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1/2 cup thinly sliced fennel
1-1/2 cups shredded Asiago cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Fennel fronds, for garnishing (optional)
Pizza stone (optional)
Pizza peel (optional)
DIRECTIONS
FOR THE LAMB SAUSAGE:
In a small skillet over medium heat add the coriander, cumin and fennel and dry toast until fragrant, shaking the pan occasionally, about 2 minutes. Remove and pound with a mortar and pestle. Add to a medium mixing bowl with the lamb, cilantro, garlic, salt, paprika, red pepper and cayenne. Use hands to carefully mix the lamb mixture. Cover and refrigerate for at least one day and up to 5.
When ready to use, heat a medium cast-iron pan over medium heat, add the olive oil and heat through. Add lamb mixture and cook, breaking up the mixture with a wooden spoon, until browned all over, about 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
FOR THE CONFIT TOMATOES:
Heat oven to 350ºF. Add the tomatoes, shallots and garlic to a small roasting dish and cover with the olive oil. Roast until the tomatoes are blistering and bubbling and shallots and garlic are tender, about 45 minutes.
FOR ASSEMBLY:
Place pizza stone on grill or in oven and heat to 500ºF.
Divide the dough in half and on a lightly floured surface, working one half at a time, roll out each half of dough into about a 10-inch circle. The dough should be fairly thin. Place the dough on piece of parchment paper on top of the pizza peel. If you do not have a pizza stone/peel then prepare the dough on a lightly greased baking sheet.
Rub the olive oil and the confit garlic over the pizza dough including the edges. Use a pizza peel to slide the dough with parchment paper underneath it onto the pizza stone. Cook until crust is a pale brown and bubbly, about 6 minutes.
Remove from grill or oven and spread ½ cup of the confit tomatoes and shallots over the pizza as well as the fennel. Top with 1 cup of the Asiago and ½ cup of Parmesan followed by 1 cup of the lamb sausage. Return to the pizza stone and continue to cook until the edges are golden brown and the cheese is bubbly, about 8 minutes.
Remove and set aside then repeat with the remaining dough and ingredients. Garnish with fennel fronds (optional) and cut into 8 equal slices before serving.
