18 Nebraskaland • May 2022
Pizza with morel mushrooms, leek, fresh mozzarella cheese and arugula. JENNY NGUYEN-WHEATLEY, NEBRASKALAND
By Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley
MOREL MUSHROOM PIZZA
I've made variations of wild
mushroom pizza over the years, and
my go-to pairing is always leeks and
morels. The flavors and aromas of
mushroom and onion immediately
take me to spring, even when there's
6 inches of snow outside. I often make
this pizza with dried morels that I've
dehydrated from the season before,
just to remind myself that warmer
days are around the corner.
If you find fresh morels this spring,
try this recipe. Serve it with a glass of
Pinot noir, Sangiovese or Tempranillo
— you'd pay a fortune for a meal like
this in a restaurant.
If using pesto as the sauce, I
recommend a homemade one that's
cut with spinach or kale, as too much
basil can overpower the delicate flavor
of morels.
Servings: 4
Prep Time: 30-45 minutes
Ingredients:
•
2 to 3 ounces of fresh morel
mushrooms
•
Refrigerated thin-crust pizza
dough
•
1 leek
•
Olive oil
•
Splash of whisky, white wine or
madeira
•
1 tablespoon of butter
•
Pesto or white pizza sauce, to taste
•
8 ounces of fresh mozzarella
cheese, sliced
•
Grated/shaved Parmesan cheese,
to taste
•
Bunch of arugula
•
Kosher salt
•
Freshly cracked pepper
Special Equipment:
•
Pizza stone
•
Pizza peel
1. Preheat oven and pizza stone on
the middle rack to 425° Fahrenheit. If
you don't have a pizza stone, follow
the directions on the packaging to
prep the dough for a cookie sheet.
2. Slice white, light green and yellow
parts of leek and wash thoroughly. In a
pan over medium heat, add olive oil to
coat and cook sliced leek with a pinch
of salt. Add a splash of water, cover
and steam until tender, about 5-10
minutes.
3. Uncover leek and allow water to
evaporate. Push leek to the side and
add more oil. Brown mushrooms over
medium-high heat until golden on
both sides — do not crowd the pan.
Add a splash of alcohol and cook until
evaporated. Take off heat and stir in
butter. Season to taste. Set aside.
4. On a lightly floured pizza peel,
roll out pizza dough and cut/shape it
to fit pizza stone, if needed. Spread
with pesto or white sauce and top with
mozzarella cheese. Top with morel
mushroom and leek mixture. Transfer
uncooked pizza to a preheated pizza
stone and bake in a 425° oven until the
bottom and edges become golden and
the cheese is fully melted and slightly
toasty, about 12-18 minutes.
5. To finish, top with Parmesan
cheese, freshly cracked pepper and
arugula to taste. Slice and serve
immediately.
IN THE FIELD
