Duck Pizza with Hoisin Sauce

Duck Pizza with Hoison Sauce
Including instruction on Pizza Dough

Makes 4 8-inch pizzas

Difficulty: Moderate

(Sous Vide instructions included for duck breasts. (135 degree F; 1-4 hours))

I love the flavor of the duck and hoisin sauce – and what a great combo for a dinner. Get your fix of two favorites in this amazing combo: Chinese and pizza.  It also makes for a great party appetizer that will leave your guests raving.

• 2 Duck breasts, fat trimmed
• 1 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tsp olive oil
• Pizza dough
• 5-6 Tb hoisin sauce
• 1½ C baby spinach, chopped
• 1 C shredded, or small balls torn, part-skim mozzarella
• 1 small red bell pepper, cored, seeded and diced
• 5 scallions, thinly sliced
• 3 Tb black sesame seeds

To cook duck the traditionally: see blog posting for Duck Breasts with Honey & Balsamic at http://cookingwithlarue.blogspot.com/2012/04/duck-breasts-with-honey-balsamic.html

Omit the orange, nutmeg and balsamic, substituting with sprinkle of the Chinese five-spice powder, salt & pepper on the meaty side of the duck breasts. Allow to sit overnight if possible, uncovered, in a refrigerator. Follow cooking instructions on blog for stovetop and oven as described or cook sous vide.

To cook duck breast sous vide: Seal duck breast or use immersion technique. Place in 135-degree water bath for at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours. (2 hours is ideal as much of the fat under the skin has softened and render out while the proteins in it begin to set, making it easier to crisp without shrinking on the stovetop just before serving.) Remove bags and dry thoroughly with paper towels. Place breasts skin side-down in heavy non-stick or cast iron skillet and set over high heat until sizzling, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and cook, moving and pressing breasts to assure good contact between skin and pan until golden brown and crisp and fat has been rendered, about 5 minutes. Flip and cook second side about 30 seconds.

Transfer cooked duck to cutting board; allow to rest 1-2 minutes, before slicing thinly on the diagonal for pizza. Set aside and allow to cool before adding to pizza dough.

Slicing the duck

Ready for the pizza

To prepare each pizza, dip the ball of dough into flour, shake off the excess flour, place the dough on a clean, lightly floured surface, and start to stretch the dough. Press down on the center, spreading the dough into an 8-inch circle.  Use a small rolling pin to roll out the dough if needed. Before adding ingredients, be sure to place the round on a baker’s peel or a rimless flat baking tray that you are using to transfer the pizza to the oven. 

Rolling the pizza dough

Have all your ingredients ready, at room temperature, to arrange the toppings on your pizza. Heat oven to 500 degree F, or warm pizza maker on high for at least 15 minutes.

Spinach and red peppers ready for the pizza

Ready for the oven!

Spread hoisin sauce generously on dough with a pastry brush. Top with spinach, cheese, bell pepper and duck. Bake pizza until cheese is melted and bubbly, about 10 minutes. Watch carefully as every pizza oven is different. Once done, remove and garnish with scallions and sesame seeds.  Wonderful! Spectacular! 

  

PIZZA DOUGH – makes 24 oz of dough

You can make 4 8-inch pizzas, or divide in half and make two large 12-inch pizzas. The baking time will be the same. Chopped fresh basil, chopped sun-dried tomatoes, or a sprinkling of crushed red pepper flakes can be added to the dough with the flour, if desired, for additional flavor.

• 1 package (2-3 tsp) active dry yeast
• 1 tsp honey
• 1 C warm water (105 degree F to 115 degree F) (divided)
• 3 C all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 Tb extra-virgin olive oil

In a small bowl, dissolve yeast and honey and ¼ C of the warm water.

In a mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine flour and salt. Add the oil, yeast mixture, and the remaining ¾ C flour and mix on low speed until dough comes cleanly away from the sides of the bowl and clusters around the dough hook, about 5 minutes. The dough can also be made in a food processor. Dissolve the yeast as above. Combine flour and salt in the bowl of the processor fitted with a steel blade. Pulse once or twice, add the remaining ingredients, and process until the dough begins to form a ball.

Pizza dough 

Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and knead by hand 2-3 minutes longer. The dough should be smooth and firm. Cover the dough with a clean, damp towel and let it rise in a warm spot for about 30-45 minutes.  When ready, the dough will stretch as it is lightly pulled.

Divide the dough into 4 balls, about 6 oz each. Work each ball by pulling down the sides and tucking under the bottom of the ball. Repeat 4-5 times. 

Separated into 4 small dough balls

Cover the dough balls with a damp towel and let it rest for 15-20 minutes. At this point the balls can be wrapped in saran and refrigerated for up to 2 days. When ready to use, remove the balls from the refrigerator and rest at room temperature for 15 minutes before stretching to form pizza.