potato, corn & leek pizza with truffle oil

i have never tasted a pizza that i didn't love.  from the deep-dishes of chicago to the thin crust pizze of italia, i've loved them all.  after all, how could anyone can say no to hot melting cheesy goodness?  earlier this year, my love for pizza led me to take a best of bay area pizza tour.  even after six months, i still can't get the squid and aioli pizza from pizzaiolo in oakland out of my mind.  in november, i finally made it down to los angeles to see what all the hype was about surrounding mario batali and nancy silverton's pizzeria mozza (my snapshot review: amazing crust to be expected from silverton but only sub-par topping combinations).  but despite all of the wonderful pizzerias out there, some of the most enjoyable slices i've had have come out of my own oven and of all the combinations i've experimented with, my favorite has been my potato, corn and leek pizza.  the sweetness of the corn, the creaminess of the leeks, oozing hot cheese, and a light drizzle of truffle oil to finish takes this pizza from homemade to simply gourmet.

i am always looking for new topping combinations, so let me know your favorite.

potato, corn & leek pizza with truffle oil 
serves 2

for potatoes:
4 fingerling potatoes
2 tbs. olive oil
salt & pepper

for leeks:
1 tbs. olive oil
the white/light green part of two leeks, sliced thinly
1/4 cup white wine
2 tbs. heavy whipping cream

for rest of pizza:
1 lb. of pre-made pizza dough (i'm partial to trader joe's 99 cents plain pizza dough)
2 tbs. flour
3 oz. whole mozzarella, torn into bite-sized pieces
2 oz. gruyere, grated
1/3 cup corn kernels (frozen is fine in the winter)
salt & pepper
truffle oil

preheat oven to 400 degrees.  slice potatoes to about 1/8th inch thick slices - this is the perfect job for a mandoline or a v-slicer if you have one.   toss with olive oil, salt and pepper and lay out on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes.

while potatoes are baking, heat a medium-sized frying pan to medium high heat.  add olive oil and then thinly sliced leeks.  saute for 2 minutes and then add white wine.  saute until most of the wine has been absorbed by the leeks.  add cream and cook for another minute.  take off heat and set aside.

now comes the fun (but difficult) part of rolling out the pizza dough.  while most people toss or roll out the dough first on a larger surface and then transfer it to a pizza stone or baking sheet, i simply lack the coordination for this effort.  my attempts to imitate the pizza masters of the world have only resulted in scenes more comedic than "i love lucy's" twirling a pizza episode.  instead, i just roll out the pizza dough with my hands onto a parchment lined baking sheet using flour to prevent dough from sticking to my hands.  for those more physically adept, chuck that piece of dough in the air and pray it doesn't land on your ceiling.

once dough has been rolled out to desired thickness (about 1/4 inch for me), top in the following order: 1) leeks; 2) mozzarella; 3) potatoes; 4) corn; 5) gruyere; and then 6) a sprinkle of salt and pepper.  bake in the oven at 400 for 12 minutes or until cheese starts to bubble and gruyere starts to get slightly golden.  drizzle with some truffle oil and eat piping hot (although this pizza makes a great cold leftover as well).

Comments

[one food guy]

Great looking pizza, very creative!

[Nicole]

This reminds me of those Chinese pastries topped with corn/green onion or leek/pork song (you know.. the dried, shredded, hairy-looking-but-tasty stuff).

Looks delicious. I'm definitely trying this one soon... but I may have to add pork to my own version ; )

[Miss Mandy]

I'm not a big fan of pizza ... usually ...
BUT... this pizza looks and sounds soooooo good... I may have to change my mind.
I'll put it on my to-do cooking list. :)

[Kathy]

I'm with you - I love pizza of all forms!!! :)

Last year I discovered making pizza with mashed sweet potato spread on the crust, topped with a light layer of prosciutto and a touch of cheese. Red onions (lightly) make a nice touch. YUM!

P.S. Nice to meet you the other day at the Food Buzz dinner!

[kat]

i loved the pizza in italy when i was studying there. mainly because of the unique ingredients you don't see here. potato pizza - zuchinni - it was all so different and yet so tasty.

[kat]

oh and i'm defintely very partial to goat cheese. if it's on a pizza, i'll eat it hands down.

[kat]

oh and i'm defintely very partial to goat cheese. if it's on a pizza, i'll eat it hands down.