Fichi e maiali

Quite possibly both internationally redundant and globally essential, pizza holds a special place in many a stomach.  Certainly no exception is my own.  While one may only need the brain power of a fish to create pizza worth eating, the art of making an exceptional pizza demands a life of practice.  With the exception of some highly suspect “microwave pizzas”, there are few pizza’s (or flat breads) that escape the tractor beam of my gullet.  But, I can’t help but crave though the more sophisticated , palate pleasing, delicately dressed, perfect pies that sometimes I am lucky enough to consume or attempt to create.  I’ve included many pictures here to illustrate the process of making one of my favorite seasonal pies.  ”Fichi e Maiali” or Figs and Pigs is a flat bread I created a couple years back inspired by the fresh mission figs that drip off of the trees here in Northern California.  

 While I don’t feel I’ve even come close to making an excellent Pizza Dough in my life, I have made plenty of decent enough doughs to support the elegance of their toppings.  I find that the Joy of Cooking’s pizza dough recipe works just great.  The trick seems to be in the kneading; too little and you get something dry and brittle; too much and you get something really tough and bread like.  This night there was too much kneading, but in the end it passed.  

I had gathered a heap of deadly ripe mission figs when I was up north this past weekend and was really excited to make this again when I did.  I first took the hard nubs of the top of about 6 large ripe figs and then placed them in a bowl.  I added a teaspoon of sugar and a dash each of olive oil, salt and lemon zest.  I then mashed the whole mess up until it was relatively uniform in texture. 

 I had a good bunch of arugula lying around that I’d picked from the garden a day or two ago that I decided to add to the pie.  I chopped it up to garnish the pie and my side dish of fresh summer squash.  This time of year I try to eat summer squash as often as possible. In my opinion it is just no good when shipped over distances and out of season.  Now is the time to eat the hell out of it.  

 After stretching out the dough and rubbing it with olive oil I spread the fig mixture over the whole shebang and started topping it with a layer of fresh mozzarella.  Now it was time for the pig portion.  When it comes to meat I say “don’t skimp”.  It is an ingredient that I will always shell out for.  It is just better for so many reasons.   I went hunting for a really spicy salami which I think goes best with this pie.  Unfortunately for me they’d just sold the last of it.  After greedily tasting 10 or 12 samples I picked a really salty and peppery artisan salami.  In the end, I have to admit that it didn’t quite cut the mustard the way the spicy stuff would have.   I tried to substitute with some hot pepper flakes but it wasn’t the same.  I dressed the whole thing with the 

the salami, more cheese, salt, ground pepper, and arugula.  While that was in a 450* oven I sauteed the squash with olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, white wine and arugula.  Right away I realized that I’d over dressed the pizza. I usually am of the persuasion that says “less is more” when it comes to toppings, but I think here I was a bit overzealous.  The end result was still pleasing as hell; a slightly spicy, salty-sweet, piggy-figgy, cheesy slice of delicious.  But I will be the fist to admit that it wasn’t my best effort.  Excitement and hunger won out over skill on this one.  But it sure looks nice in the picture!!

-Paul