Topic: Recipes
No...not a misspelling. We're making ...FLAMMKUCHEN.
Today I'm sharing a very easy recipe for what may look like pizza, but isn't.
This is a casual dish served in the region between France and Germany and yes, I know it looks like a white pizza, but it's not.
I was introduced to this casual fare while my son was studying philosophy as a grad student at the University of Freiburg (specifically, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg) and I got to make sure he was eating well, of course.
It's usually made and served as an entree for one and people order singly in restaurants, choosing the toppings they want individually. But, for efficiency's sake, I made one large one. It can also be prepared on a grill surface, including your outdoor grill, but it is January in northwestern Illinois, so the oven is today's plan.
So, we have a crispy bread dough (OK, you can use frozen pizza dough here, readily available in any market...rolled thin, then brushed with olive oil and baked for 5 minutes at 425 degrees to crisp it).
On top of the browned crust--I have a 16 inch crust here--add about 4 tbsp. of sour cream and spread thinly over the crust.
Then add cheese--I used 8 oz of shredded Italian blend.
Then add toppings.
Here's where the German/ French connection shows. They will add bits of ham and onion or other vegetables and the seasonings are more traditional French rather than Italian.
I used 2 onions, chopped and sauteed until translucent in olive oil, seasoned lightly with salt, and generously with herbs de Provence.
Then sauteed some red pepper strips (remember, we have packets of these in the freezer from last Summer's harvest, already blanched and kitchen-prepped).
Finally added some sliced green olives. The choices of toppings are your own.
Now return this Flammkuchen to the oven and bake another 12-15 minutes at 425 degrees until the cheese is melted and browned.
This is a perfect choice for a casual, but continental, dinner with your choice of beverage and a great movie!
