Kimchee Pizza

You know that question about if you could eat only one food for the rest of your life what food would it be. My answer never wavers: pizza. Pizza is the world’s most versatile and perfect food. You can put anything on it. It can contain every important food group from whole grains and protein to vegetables and dairy. You can health it up or make it all junky. It can be grilled or baked, roasted or fried.

Today’s recipe marries Italian to Swedish and Korean: a cross-cultural beauty if ever there was one. Make the kimchee in advance as it gets better with age. You’ll have leftovers, so use the kimchee as a relish all week long.

Kimchee on Rye

Makes two 10-inch pizzas

For the dough:

2 ¼ teaspoons yeast (one package)

2 teaspoons maple syrup (or honey)

2/3 cup warm water

1 tablespoon olive oil plus more for rise and baking

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more if dough is too wet

2/3 cup rye flour

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon caraway seeds

Zest from ½ orange

In small bowl combine yeast, maple, and water; set aside until yeast gets foamy. Add olive oil. Place flours, salt, caraway and zest in food processor fitted with metal blade and process about 20 seconds. While continuously processing, add yeast mixture and oil through feeding tube. Continue processing until smooth silk dough forms (add additional flour if dough is too wet). Place dough ball in oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise until double, about 2 hours.

Divide dough into two or three balls and roll or use hands to shape each into 10- or 7-inch round. Transfer to lightly oiled baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap; set aside for second rise about 30 minutes.

Note: if you do not have a food processor, this dough can be made by hand. Proof the yeast as in the recipe above, and knead all ingredients together until silky dough forms; about 5 to 10 minutes. Then continue as above.

For the kimchee (adapted from Ashley Bode’s recipe at marcussamuelsson.com):

2 pounds Napa or green cabbage, cut into 1-inch chunks

1 medium carrot, diced

½ medium daikon, sliced thin

4 cups water

¼ cup salt

4 cloves garlic

3-inch piece ginger

1 tablespoon chili powder

2 teaspoons red pepper flakes

3 scallions

1 tablespoon fish sauce

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon caraway

Zest from ½ orange and juice from whole orange

Combine salt and water and whisk until salt dissolves. Add cabbage, carrots and daikon. Cover with plastic and weight so that vegetables are all submerged. Set aside at room temp for 4 to 6 hours and then drain vegetables and rinse well.

In bowl of food processor fitted with metal blade or blender process remaining ingredients until a paste forms. Mix with vegetables and place vegetables in glass jars.

For tomato sauce:

1 can diced tomatoes

1 tablespoon balsamic or other vinegar

1 teaspoon each ground basil, oregano, and garlic powder

Pinch of sugar, salt and pepper

Drain can over small sauce pan, reserving tomatoes and leaving liquid in pan. Add vinegar and seasonings; simmer until just becomes syrup. Add tomatoes to pan, remove from heat.

For Korean BBQ:

Whisk together 3 tablespoons brown sugar, juice of 1 lime, 1-inch grated ginger, 2 teaspoons each sesame oil and soy sauce, ½ teaspoon fish sauce, 1 diced green onion diced, ½ teaspoon black pepper.

For the other toppings:

12 to 18 ounces farmer cheese or mozzarella, shredded

½ cup Asiago or Parmesan, shredded

Fresh basil

To assemble:

Divide cheese equally over each pizza round; par-bake in 450 degree oven until cheese is just melted, about 8 minutes. Top each pie equally with tomato sauce, kimchee and Asiago or Parm. Return to oven and continue cooking until crust is cooked through and cheeses are melted; about 15 minutes.

Garnish pizzas with Korean BBQ and basil.