I’ve been the fortunate receipent of several pints of fresh white figs this summer. My daughter’s camp counselor has a tree growing in her family’s yard that started from a branch her great-great-great-grandfather brought over from Italy to New York – how cool is that?
Back in the early 90s, when I was a dietetic intern living in Boston, my girlfriend and I would save our dollars to treat ourselves now and then to Figs, the upscale wood-fired pizza oven restaurant owned by Todd English on Charles Street. The waiters wore shirts that stated “Never Trust a Round Pizza” and we’d always get half Spicy Shrimp with Caramelized Leeks and half Fig, Prosciutto & Gorgonzola. I’ve always loved pizza but those meals opened my eyes on what really could be considered a pizza topping.
So, here’s my version of fig pizza – nowhere on the level of Figs’ offering but still pretty darn tasty, especially when you know exactly where those figs where grown.
- 8 ounces fresh figs, (about 12), cut into eights, divided
- 1/3 cup water
- 1 ½ teaspoons honey, divided
- 1 pound pizza dough
- 4 slices of cooked bacon, coarsely chopped
- ½ cup ricotta cheese
- 6 sprigs of fresh thyme, chopped
- 1/8 teaspoon cracked black pepper
- In a saucepan, add half of the figs and 1/3 cup water. Bring to a boil then reduce heat. Simmer for about 20 minutes, covered (or until most of liquid has evaporated.) Cool slightly.
- Pour in a blender or food processor.
- Add ½ teaspoon honey and puree. Put aside.
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
- Roll out dough and place on baking sheet or pizza stone sprinkled with cornmeal.
- Spread fig sauce onto dough.
- Layer remaining figs and bacon over sauce.
- Dollop ricotta onto dough.
- Sprinkle with thyme.
- Drizzle remaining 1 teaspoon of honey over toppings.
- Top with black pepper. Bake for 20 minutes or until edge of pizza turns golden brown.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4-6 servings
What are your favorite pizza toppings? What’s the most unique toppings you’ve eaten or made?
