EATS: Mushroom Flatbread

I created this recipe for mushroom flatbread because lately, I’ve been foraging chicken of the woods mushrooms. I found that my friends had done the same and soo I was tasked with taking charge of our hauls and creating something tasty to enjoy. If you’re not familiar with chicken of the woods mushrooms, they have a unique taste and texture. Chicken of the woods are more dry than other mushroom varieties giving it a more “meaty” texture. Their hardiness makes them easier to clean, though, you should expect the washing and cleaning of your chicken of the woods mushrooms to take a bit of time. Today is officially the first day of fall and this recipe has a nice woodsy, autumnal taste to it. The hearty mushrooms combined with caramelized onions and creamy ricotta cheese sauce topped over a crisp flatbread makes this the perfect recipe to enjoy in cooler weather.

Mushroom Flatbread Ingredients

• Pizza dough. I used this pizza dough recipe from the NY Times Cooking, and I loved how it turned out. You can also use pre-made pizza dough, if you’re in the Hamptons or NYC area, Citarella makes a nice pre-made pizza dough.

• 15 ounces of ricotta cheese

• 1/2 cup Gruyère (shredded)

• 1/4 cup Parmesan (grated)

• 2 Tablespoons olive oil

• Salt and black cracked pepper to taste

• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme chopped

• 1 Tablespoon chives, chopped

• 1 and 1/2 large yellow onion

• 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar

• 1 teaspoon sugar

• 1 Tablespoon red chili pepper flakes

• 2 pounds of chicken of the woods mushrooms

• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar

• 5 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter

Mushroom Flatbread Instructions

• Preheat oven to 550 degrees

• In a large mixing bowl combine, ricotta cheese, Gruyère, Parmesan, 2 Tablespoons olive oil, Salt and black cracked pepper (to taste), thyme, and chives. Set aside.

• Place 1 Tablespoon of olive oil in a large pan over high heat. Add onion slices, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, and sugar and cook until caramelized. After getting a good amount of color to the onions, add water to soften.

• Once caramelized, add onions to the cheese and spice mixture. Mix all ingredients until combined.

• Coat your pizza dough with olive oil. Place parchment paper or a sil pat over a large baking sheet pan and stretch the pizza dough to your desired size.

• Season the prepared pizza dough with chili flakes.

• Bake the pizza dough at 550 degreed for 8-10 minutes

• While your pizza dough is cooking, add 1 Tablespoon of olive oil to your frying pan over high heat. Add in chicken of the woods mushrooms. Sauté in olive oil with minced garlic and butter. Salt and pepper. Sauté approximately 5 minutes until golden brown.

• Remove pizza dough from the oven. Spread the cheese and onion mixture onto the cooked flatbread. Top generously with chicken of the woods mushrooms.

• Bake your mushroom flatbread at 550 degrees for 8-10 minutes until the bottom of the flatbread is golden brown.

• Finish with olive oil and Parmesan. Enjoy!
  

Beautiful formation of chicken of the woods, growing at the base of an oak tree before being harvested.