ROASTED CHICKEN AND LEEK PIZZA (for four)

“One of life’s sublime experiences is grabbing a triangle of hot pizza and seeing melted cheese stretch itself into aromatic strands as your hand moves from pan to mouth…. Is mozzarella really the best cheese for pizza?  Or can other varieties offer mozzarella’s signature meltability, but with a richer, more complex flavor?….The following list of cheeses also offer good meltability: cheddar, fontina, Gouda, Jack, Muenster, provolone, raclette and Swiss.”  King Arthur Baking website

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

3 large leeks, white and tender green portions only, sliced crosswise ¼ inch thick and separated into rings

2 cups shredded skinless rotisserie chicken

½ pound Fontina cheese, shredded (2 cups)

1/3 cup spicy oil-cured olives, pitted and coarsely chopped

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 pound pizza dough, at room temperature

1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

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1.   Preheat oven to 500*.  Preheat a pizza stone or generously oil a large baking sheet.  Melt the butter in a large skillet.  Add the leeks and cook over moderate heat until just softened but still bright green, about 5 minutes.  Transfer to a bowl and let cool.  Stir in the chicken, half the Fontina and the olives and season with salt and pepper.

2.   On a lightly floured surface, roll or stretch the dough to a rough 14 inch round.  Transfer the dough to a floured pizza peel or rimless cookie sheet, or to the oiled baking sheet.  Spread thechicken and leek mixture on the pizza, leaving a 1 inch border of dough.  Brush the border with the olive oil.  Sprinkle the remaining Fontina over the top and season with pepper.

3.    Slide the pizza onto the hot stone, if using, and bake for about 10 minutes on the stone or 16 minutes on the baking sheet, until the crust is golden and the cheese is bubbling.  Transfer the pizza to a rack and let cool slightly before serving.

from Grace Parisi, Food and Wine Magazine, May, 1999 (updated May 26, 2017)