Pear and Gorgonzola Mini Pizzas

This recipe is from Episode 4 of This Food That Wine

Wine Suggestion: Off Dry Riesling

Yield: 6 small pizzas

Ingredients

• 1 pound raw store bought pizza dough (500g)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil (15 ml) + 1 tablespoon (15 ml)
• Flour for dusting
• 1 tablespoon fresh dill, roughly chopped (15 ml)
• Cracked pepper to taste
• 3 ripe pears, peeled, cored and sliced into 1/8” slices
• 4 oz Gorgonzola cheese
• 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts (30ml)

Directions

1. Preheat a pizza stone in a 450 degrees F (230 degrees C) oven.
2. Divide pizza dough into 6 equal portions. Start to form the dough into 6 equal-sized balls.
3. Work each ball of dough by pulling down the sides and tucking the sides under the bottom of the ball.
4. Then, using a smooth surface, roll the ball under the palm of your hand until the ball is smooth and firm, about 1 minute.
5. Place the balls on a lightly oiled baking tray. Cover with a damp kitchen towel and allow them to rest at room temperature for 12 –15 minutes. (If you are preparing the dough in advance, this is the point of the preparation that the balls can be loosely covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated for 1-2 days).
6. To prepare each pizza, place a ball of dough on a lightly floured surface. Press down on the center of the ball and flatten slightly. Lightly dust a rolling pin with flour and roll each ball of dough into 4” circles.
7. Allow the outer ¼” border to be slightly thicker than the center.
8. Brush the dough lightly with oil and sprinkle evenly with dill and pepper. Arrange the pear slices on the dough so they slightly overlap. Crumble gorgonzola overtop and sprinkle equally with pine nuts. Repeat with remaining pizzas.
9. Using a pizza paddle (lightly dusted with flour) carefully lift the pizzas onto the preheated pizza stone.
10. Bake pizzas for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.
11. Transfer pizzas to a firm surface and cut into slices with a pizza cutter.
12. Serve immediately.

Wine Pairing

Description: When a wine is labelled “off-dry”, it just means it’s a little bit sweet. Riesling is made in dry, off-dry, and sweeter styles as well. This Riesling is quite fruity with flavours of summer peach and ripe apricot, subtle floral aromas, a pleasant touch of sweetness, and crisp, palate-cleansing acidity on the finish.

Pairing: The Riesling works well with this dish for two reasons. First, it balances the sweetness in the pear, and secondly the sweetness rounds out the pungency of the blue cheese. Remember that if your dish has some sweetness in it, you need to balance that sweetness in your wine selection, so pick an off-dry wine, or a wine that is fruity enough to make it seem a bit sweet.

Wine Suggestion: Cave Spring Off Dry Riesling V.Q.A (Niagara Peninsula, Canada)