Spicy Southwest Chorizo Pizza, adapted from The Fiery Cuisines
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Ingredients
  • For Chipotle Sauce:
  • 2 Tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
  • ½ cup finely chopped onion
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 8 ounce can tomato sauce
  • 1 Tablespoon ground chipotle chiles
  • 1 Tablespoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • For Crust:
  • 1 cup hot water
  • 1 packet (1/4-ounce) active dry yeast
  • 2 Tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour or bread flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • Few grinds of freshly ground black pepper
  • For Chorizo Topping:
  • ½ of a 9-ounce package raw pork chorizo (or if preferred, sliced fully cooked chorizo)
  • 1 small red onion, sliced and separated into rings
  • ½ cup (or more if desired) jarred whole jalapeño pieces cut into strips (or use fresh peppers)
  • ½ cup thinly sliced mushrooms
  • ½ cup sliced black olives
  • ½ cup grated mozzarella
  • ½ cup grated Monterey Jack with Peppers
  • ½ cup grated Parmesan
  • Chopped cilantro, as desired (optional)
  • Olive oil for drizzling
Instructions
  1. For Sauce: Heat oil in a saucepan. Add onions and sauté until softened. Add garlic and stir for a minute. Stir in all remaining sauce ingredients and mix to blend. Turn heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour or until thickened. Remove from heat and set aside. (can be made a day or two ahead and refrigerated).
  2. For Crust: Place hot water in large mixing bowl and add yeast; stir to dissolve. Let stand 5 minutes. Stir in oil. Add 2 cups of the flour, salt, and pepper; mix to form a dough. Spread remaining cup of flour on work surface and place dough on top of flour. Knead for about 5-8 minutes, using flour as needed to make smooth and elastic. Form into a ball and place in an oiled bowl, flip over to coat, then cover and let rise for 1-1/2 to 2 hours or until doubled.
  3. For Topping and forming Crust: While sauce is simmering (unless you made it earlier), you can prepare the topping. In a skillet, sauté the raw chorizo until chopped up and cooked through. Using a slotted spoon, remove to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside. (Or if you prefer fully cooked chorizo, slice and set aside). When crust dough has risen, lightly oil a 12-inch pizza pan and sprinkle with some cornmeal (optional). Punch dough down and stretch to fit pan.
  4. To assemble pizza: Heat oven to 400 degrees. Spread prepared pizza sauce evenly over crust in pan. Crumble on the cooked raw chorizo evenly over sauce (or scatter sliced cooked chorizo). Add the red onion rings, jalapeño slices, sliced mushrooms, and sliced black olives. Toss the three cheeses together in a bowl, then evenly sprinkle on top. Add some chopped fresh cilantro, if desired. Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 to 25 minutes until crust is browned. Cut into slices and serve.
Recipe by The Culinary Cellar at https://theculinarycellar.com/spicy-southwest-chorizo-pizza/