Duck Pizza with Brie, Onions and Apples

When we braise duck legs and thighs like we did for Christmas dinner, we always do a few extra because the leftovers are absoutely sublime. Made into a pizza, carnitas or added to a pot of risotto, there's no way on earth we think of the results as anything but delicious.

Last night's pizza started with homemade dough, made in a flash in the food processor and left to rise during the time it took to gather the rest of the pizza toppings together. A lovely thick bechamel sauce loaded with salt, pepper and nutmeg along with the chopped up rind from the brie started the pizza off on the right foot. Bechamel's a fabulous way to sauce a pizza and using the brie rind adds a ton of flavor too. Followed by sauteed onions cooked to a lovely golden color along with several cloves of garlic, slices of soft creamy triple cream brie, chopped moist tender duck and some of the apples and oranges fished from the leftover sauce, fourteen minutes after the pizza hit the oven it was out and ready to be enjoyed. 

Now, if the photo's haven't convinced you to give it a try, had you been able to hear us, you'd be convinced to make a pizza just like this one. Munching and groans of bliss kinda' took over the airwaves for every second of the 10 or so minutes it took us to inhale this beauty. Just sayin'. 

Duck Pizza with Brie, Onions and Apples (an original from JBug's Kitchen)

Crust:

1 cup water

1 package active dry yeast (Rapid Rise is fine)

2-1/2 to 3 cups all purpose flour

2 tablespoons olive oil

½ teaspoon salt

In bowl of food processor with metal blade combine 1-1/2 cups flour with warm water and yeast. Mix well. Add 1 cup four, olive oil and salt. Combine well until dough forms into one ball and rides on top of the metal blade (about 20 seconds). If dough is very sticky add more flour; however dough should be very soft. Remove ball of dough from processor and place in lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm place to rise for 1 hour. After dough has risen remove to a floured board and cut in half. Form into 2 balls and cover with bowl. Allow to rest for 20 minutes before shaping. Makes 2 – 12 inch pizzas – we used one and a half for our extra large pizza and froze the rest for future use.

Sauce:

2 tablespoons butter

1-1/2 tablespoons all purpose flour

1-1/2 cups whole milk

Salt, pepper and freshly ground nutmeg to taste

Rind from 6 ounce piece triple cream brie, chopped into small pieces 

Melt butter over medium heat in a small saucepan. Whisk in flour and cook mixture, whisking constantly for 1 minute. Whisk in milk and cook until mixture thickens, stirring constantly. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste, then whisk in brie rind. Cook for 3 to 4 more minutes, whisking often until brie partially melts into sauce. Sauce will be slightly lumpy. Set aside to cool.

For the pizza:

1 yellow onion, thinly sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons butter

Salt and pepper 

Heat heavy skillet over medium heat. Add butter and when melted, add onions. Cook slowly, stirring occasionally until onions have softened and start to brown. Add garlic and cook for additional 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and cool. 

3/4 cup chopped or slivered cooked duck (see recipe for Duck with Apples, Oranges & Cider)

8 ounce piece of triple cream brie sliced, (rind removed as above)

Apples and oranges from sauce, chopped into small pieces

Place pizza stone in oven and preheat oven to 500. Shape crust into 16 inch pizza. Top with Brie sauce, then sauteed onions, followed by brie slices, duck and chopped apples/oranges. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until crust is golden and topping bubbling. 

A year ago -  Chicken Thighs Braised In Wine

Two year's ago - Mushroom Risotto with Duck

 

Comments

[Lorraine]

You don't need to twist my arm. Yum!

[June]

We loved it Lorraine. Best one we've made (so far) or do we always say that?

[Shaun]

Oh now thats a pizza, we had duck too on christmas day but had none left, I'll be doing a bit extra from now on and give this a try, will have to be a treat though, ducks expensive over here. Loving the brie and I've still got some Wensleysdale with
cranberries I might drop on.

[June]

Shaun - duck isn't cheap here either but one leftover leg/thigh was enough for the pizza. The Wensleydale would be fabulous!