Category: Main Ingredient

Main Ingredient

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Alsatian Pizza with Bacon and Caramelized Onions

Alsatian Pizza with Bacon and Caramelized Onions

100% would make it again

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This French-inspired pizza makes a good first course, great party food, or even a satisfying main with a green salad on the side. Don’t worry if your kids ask, “Where’s the tomato sauce?” Once they try a slice of this pie, they’ll be sold on the marriage of crisp bacon, nutty Gruyère, and sweet onions. hide ›

Ingredients

For the Foolproof Pizza Dough

  • 2/3 cup (5 fl oz/160 ml) warm water (105°–115°F/40°–46°C)
  • 1 package (2 1/2 teaspoons) active dry yeast
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • 2 cups (10 oz/315 g) bread flour, plus more for dusting
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for oiling
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

 

  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 yellow onions, thinly sliced
  • 1 tablespoon firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 8 slices thick-cut applewood–smoked bacon, cut into strips
  • Cornmeal for dusting
  • 1/4 lb (125 g) Gruyère cheese, thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme

Preparation

  1. To make the pizza dough, in a bowl, whisk together the water, yeast, and sugar. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Add the flour, oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Stir until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Pull the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead a few times, then form into a ball. Oil a second bowl, put the ball in the bowl, and turn to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm, draft-free area. Let the dough rise until doubled in size, 1–1 1/2 hours.
  2. While the dough is rising, in a sauté pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onions and stir to coat. Sprinkle the sugar over the onions and stir once more. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring, until the onions are golden brown, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
  3. At the same time, in a second sauté pan over medium heat, cook the bacon, stirring, until crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
  4. Prepare a charcoal or gas grill for direct grilling over medium-high heat. Brush and oil the grill grate.
  5. Dump the dough onto a floured work surface, then divide in half. Using a floured rolling pin, roll out 1 half into a round 10—12 inches (25—30 cm) in diameter and about 1/8 inch (3 mm) thick. Repeat with the second half.
  6. Slide 1 round onto a baker’s peel or a rimless baking sheet dusted with cornmeal, and then carefully slide the round off the peel onto the grill directly over the fire. Repeat with the second round. Cook the crusts until the underside is well marked, about 2 minutes. Using the peel, transfer the crusts, grilled side up, back to the work surface.
  7. Top each crust with half the onions, half the bacon, and then half the cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Using the peel, return the topped crusts to the grill, cover the grill, and cook until each crust is firm and browned at the edges and the cheese has melted a bit, 4—6 minutes.
  8. Transfer the pizzas to a cutting board and sprinkle with the thyme. Cut into wedges and serve at once.

The Game Plan

  • Make pizza dough; let rise for 1—1 1/2 hours; meanwhile, cook onions and bacon
  • Set up grill for direct grilling over medium-high heat
  • Roll out dough
  • Grill undersides of pizzas; flip and add toppings
  • Grilling time: 6—8 minutes
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7 Ways to Make Lentil Soup

7 Ways to Make Lentil Soup

3|18|11

Makes: 4 servings

Time: About 45 minutes

Lentils make soup making easy—they cook quickly and are incredibly tasty. And unlike many lentil soups, which are so thick they put people off completely, this one is nicely balanced with some simple vegetables. The lentils break down a bit during the cooking to give the soup a hearty consistency, but you can purée it if you prefer. Recipe from How to Cook Everything.

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

***1 onion, chopped

***1 carrot, cut into 1/2 -inch dice

***1 celery stalk, cut into 1/2 -inch dice

1 cup lentils, washed and picked over

1 bay leaf

6 cups chicken, beef, or vegetable stock or water

Freshly ground black pepper

Salt

  1. Put the oil in a large, deep pot over medium heat. When hot, add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until soft, just a minute or two. Add the carrot and celery and keep cooking and stirring until brightly colored and hot, about 2 minutes.
  2. Add the lentils, bay leaf, and stock; sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are tender, about 30 minutes. (At this point, you may cool and refrigerate the soup, covered, for up to 2 days; reheat gently.) Add more stock if the soup is too thick. Just before serving, taste, sprinkle with salt and more pepper if needed, and serve.

Lentil Soup with Lemon and Dill. About a minute before serving, stir in 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice and 1/2 cup chopped fresh dill, or to taste.

Lentil Soup with Cumin. Add 11/2 teaspoons ground cumin along with the bay leaf. Add a squeeze of lime or orange juice, if you like, and garnish with a dollop of yogurt and chopped fresh cilantro.

Lentil Soup with Smoked Paprika. Add 1 teaspoon smoked paprika along with the bay leaf. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley or chives if you like.

***Lentil Soup with Sausage or Bacon. Start with about 1/4 pound chopped sausage, bacon, or pancetta and cook it in the soup pot until slightly crisp before adding the other ingredients in Step 1. Drain the fat if you like or use it and omit the olive oil.

***Lentil Soup with Roasted Garlic. Omit the onion, carrot, and celery. Prepare and peel 1 or 2 heads of roasted garlic. In Step 1, cook the garlic in the olive oil for a minute or two, mashing and stirring until fragrant.

Lentil Soup with Dried Tomatoes. Omit the onion, carrot, and celery. In Step 1 cook 1/2 cup dried tomatoes (preferably not oil-packed) and a tablespoon of minced garlic in the olive oil for a minute or two, stirring occasionally, until both are softened and fragrant. Proceed with the recipe.