Fig-Pig Pizza

If you’re planning to visit Bozeman, Montana, you need to eat at Blackbird Kitchen.

From the first dinner we devoured there, it’s been a requirement for us every time we’re in town. And if you do end up sipping wine at Blackbird, you need to order the Mostarda pizza. It’s a fig-and-prosciutto miracle, topped with arugula and- A MUST- a farm fresh egg.

Egg? On pizza? TRUST ME. It changes everything.

Yesterday was a state holiday for Utah called Pioneer Day. It’s a day set aside to celebrate the first Mormon settlers who landed here in 1847 and started the community that has grown into Salt Lake City. In Utah, this holiday trumps the Fourth of July in every way – more fireworks, parades, events. Every business is closed. For whose of us without a real connection to the pioneer settlers led by Brigham Young, we call the day “PIE AND BEER DAY.”

Last year, in true PIE-oneer spirit, I made Bourbon Chocolate Pecan Tartlets. This year, I decided that pizza qualifies as a PIE. Right? John and I decided to try to replicate our favorite pie from Blackbird.

I didn’t have any homemade pizza dough on hand, but I did have some from Whole Foods in the freezer. While I gathered the rest of the ingredients, John got to work on the crust. I love sharing the kitchen with my hot hubby.

(“Do I smell a pork product of some kind?”)

We’ve learned that cornmeal in addition to the flour is imperative for homemade pizzas. It helps the crust easily slide off of the platter to the pizza stone. We usually bake our pizzas in the oven, but in order to better replicate the wood-fired pizza flavor of Blackbird’s pie, we brought the pizza stone outside and heated it up on the grill.

With the crust ready (love John’s crimping technique on the edges!), it was time for toppings. I started by brushing the whole crust with garlic-infused olive oil. Next, we brushed on fig jam. We added more jam than we should have- a little goes a long way!

Next came the mozzarella slices. This looks like plenty, but next time, we’ll add more!

Last, I covered the pie with sliced prosciutto. I shook a little garlic salt over the whole thing, and a generous sprinkling of crushed red pepper. There is no way this is going to be bad.

Time to bake the pie! The pizza stone had been heating up for at least 40 minutes, so the pizza started cooking immediately. As it baked, the fig jam bubbled up and kind of took over- the mozzarella seemed to disappear.

That’s a happy (hungry) man right there.

There were just a couple more things to add to our fig-pig masterpiece before we could taste it. I covered the pizza with arugula, then drizzled balsamic reduction over the greens. Next came a handful of freshly grated Parmesan cheese and cracked black pepper.

The final touch: the egg. Sure, this pizza would be delicious as-is (DAD). But we know from our experiences at Blackbird that the EGG takes it to another level! John cooked the egg to an over-easy doneness and placed it gently, right on top of the greens.

Hello, Gorgeous.

As John sliced the pie, my mouth was watering. The crust was perfect- the olive oil made it crunchy and delicious. The sweetness from the fig is balanced by the salty prosciutto and the peppery arugula. And the egg adds a fabulous silky, buttery texture– it helped make up for the phantom mozzarella!

It wasn’t identical to the Mostarda at Blackbird, but it came pretty darn close. And it was divine. Our fig-pig pie was perfect for Pie and Beer Day!

I didn’t even miss the beer.

Fig & Pig Pizza

You’ll need:

• Refrigerated or homemade pizza dough
• Flour and cornmeal
• Fig jam or spread
• At least 4 ounces of sliced prosciutto
• Good mozzarella cheese, in slices
• At least two cups of arugula
• Olive oil
• Balsamic reduction
• A big handful of shredded Parmesan cheese
• Garlic salt, cracked black pepper, crushed red pepper to taste
• (Not really) optional: one egg

Generously sprinkle the flour onto the counter. Roll out your pizza dough to your desired thickness and size. Transfer to a baking sheet or pizza paddle covered in more flour and plenty of cornmeal.

Brush the crust with olive oil, all the way to the edges. Brush the fig jam over the oil, more sparingly than you think you should. Add the slices of mozzarella, enough to cover the pizza. Add the prosciutto, then sprinkle with garlic salt and crushed red pepper.

Shake the baking sheet to loosen the crust before sliding it onto a heated pizza stone in the oven. (If you don’t have a pizza stone, you can bake the pizza right on the baking sheet.) Bake in a 400 degree oven until the edges of the crust are browned. (Another option is to use your grill with a pizza stone.)

Top the pizza with the arugula, then drizzle with balsamic reduction. Sprinkle the Parmesan over the greens and add the black pepper. Heat a small cast iron skillet on the stove and cook the egg to over-easy doneness. Top the pizza with the egg and serve immediately. Try not to eat it all. (I failed at this.) YUM!

**A list of recipes and links to my culinary adventures can be found on the FOOD BLISS link!**