Week #40: South Carolina - Old Charleston Shrimp & Grits Pizza

State:  South Carolina

I have been to South Carolina four times I think, but it was stopping through to a gas station on the way to Maryland or Florida.  What I do know about South Carolina is that they are well known for their shrimp and grits.  I love me some shrimp and grits, so I had to try it out.  For this pizza, I found an Old Charleston recipe, which incorporated bacon and sausage.  How could you go wrong with shrimp, bacon, and sausage?  This pizza was comfortably delicious and definitely worth trying!  Hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 cup coarsely ground grits

3 cups water

2 teaspoons salt

1 pizza crust

1 pound uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined

Salt and pepper to taste

1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste

1 pound andouille sausage, cut into 1/4-inch slices

3 slices bacon

1 yellow bell pepper, diced

1/2 cup chopped green onion

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup chicken broth

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

Grits:

Bring water to a boil and add grits.  Reduce the temperature to a simmer and allow 15-20 minutes for the grits to cook.  Once grits thickens, add butter, salt and pepper to taste.  Remove from heat and allow grits to cool.

Shrimp Mixture:

In a bowl, sprinkle salt, pepper and cayenne pepper over shrimp.  Mix thoroughly.  In a medium pan, cook sausage slices over medium heat and cook until browned.  Take out sausage and set aside.  Add bacon and cook until evenly browned.  Transfer bacon to a plate with paper towels to absorb excess grease.  Retain 2 tablespoons of grease and discard the rest.  Add in the yellow bell peppers and garlic cooking until the onion is translucent.  Add in shrimp and sausage to pan. 

In a medium saucepan on medium heat, melt butter.  Once melted, add in flour to make a roux or a smooth paste.  Turn heat to low and stirring roux constantly, until the mixture is brown in color. Make sure not to burn the roux or you will have to start over.  Pour the butter-flour mixture into the skillet with sausage, shrimp, and vegetables.  Place the skillet over medium heat and pour in chicken broth, bacon and Worcestershire sauce.  Cook and stir sauce until it thickens and the shrimp are a bright orange or pink.

Pizza:

Preheat oven to 450.  Cook crust until slightly browned and remove from heat.  Next, lower oven temperature down to 400.  Add a layer of cheese to the base of the pizza.  Then, with a spooned ladle, scoop out mixture and apply to pizza crust.  Make sure to spread out toppings to ensure all slices will have equal parts.   Top off the pizza with green onion and place into oven for another 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and allow pizza to cool before eating.  

Pairing:

So for this pizza, I was trying to find a Thomas Creek, but the beer store was all out.  However, I did find a Bayshore IPA, which is a Tampa beer and it was brewed at the Thomas Creek brewery.  Technically, this beer was brewed in SC, so it all worked out.  An IPA is good for this pizza, since you need some type of acid or citrus taste to balance out the pizza.  You can also go with a Pinot Noir or a Chardonnay for this pizza.  Cheers!

Learning Moments:

For this pizza, I skipped the flour part as I did not have any gluten-free flour.  I think it would have made a big difference in the sauce, but either way this pizza was tasty.  Anytime you have sausage and shrimp, you can't go wrong.  This challenge is definitely taking me outside my comfort zone.  This pizza was really tasty!  I hope you enjoy!   

Week #39: Rhode Island - Clam Chowder Pizza

State: Rhode Island

Going into this challenge, I wasn't sure if I wanted to do another chowder pizza.  Rhode Island's chowder is more like a soup with a broth consistency.  So, to honor the last chowder pizza of this challenge, I decided to tweak the recipe a little to make it my own.  This pizza turned out really good and was worth it. 

Ingredients:

3 tbsp. of chopped parsley

1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese

3 strips of bacon

1 pizza crust

Chowder:

2 medium sized diced red potatoes

3 celery stalks cut in half (long ways) and diced

1 can of clams

1/2 small Spanish onion

Salt and pepper to taste

1 carton of chicken broth

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp. of garlic powder

1 tbsp. of butter

Soup:

In a medium sauce pot, cook the bacon until browned on both sides.  Once cooked, drain the majority of the grease from the pot except for 1-2 tablespoons.  On medium heat, add potatoes, onion and celery.  Stir constantly for about 5 minutes or onions are translucent.  Add in chicken broth and bring to a boil, then add clams.  Reduce heat and cover for 5 minutes or so.  Add the butter, Worcestershire sauce, and spices.  Stir until all is mixed in thoroughly.  Remove from heat and set aside.
  

Pizza:

Preheat oven to 450.  Cook crust for 7-10 minutes or until slightly brown.  Add a half of the amount of mozzarella cheese on across the crust.  With a slotted spoon, scoop pieces of the soup and put across the crust.  Make sure that you have pieces spread out evenly so each slice will have equal amounts of the mixture.  Next, with a spoon add about 2-3 spoonful’s of the broth along the crust. Please Note: Don't put too much broth onto the crust or it will leak over into a hot oven surface.  Put the rest of the cheese on top and place into oven for 3-5 minutes or until cheese is melted.  Remove from oven and put pieces of bacon onto pizza. Sprinkle the parsley across the pizza and cut into slices.  Serve and enjoy!

Pairing:

When pairing a chowder pizza, I would suggest a good porter, stout, or scotch-aged ale. For wine, a nice soft Cabernet or Chianti would be good with this pizza.

Learning Moments:

After doing this challenge, I have learned how make my first chowder to eventually making my own recipe.  I plan on making plenty of these style soups, using different ingredients.  I think I need to make a Maryland and Florida chowder next!  This challenge has really helped me step up my game, creating new cooking styles and techniques.

Week #38: Pennsylvania - Philly Cheese Steak Pizza

State: Pennsylvania

One of my favorite states to visit is Pennsylvania.  PA has a lot of memories for me in cities such as Lancaster, Reading, Poconos, and Philly.  Going to Lancaster, we would see Amish buggies and stop by to get apple pie.  If you have not had Amish apple pie from the Pennsylvania Dutch, you are missing out!  My father's house which was located in the corner of Northeastern Maryland was so close to PA, we used to walk to the state line.  If you lived near PA, you have had to at least visited Jason's Woods or Field of Screams haunted attractions.  Both exhibits open up for Halloween and they are the BEST Halloween attraction sites in the Mid-Atlantic.   Their budgets are on a multi-million dollar scale, in which they rent out a farm and host an attraction of scary haunted houses, hayrides, mazes, and more.  I haven't been in a long time, but I look forward to taking my son there one day.

When it comes to food in PA, the first thought is a Philly Cheesesteak.   If you are not from the area, you spell it "Cheese Steak."  If you are in the surrounding states or the Mid-Atlantic, we spell it "Cheesesteak."  If you are from Philly, there is only one way to eat a steak.  The locals prefer Amaroso bread, steak, onions/peppers, and some kind of cheese, either the Whiz or Provolone.  In Maryland, we add other stuff like pickles, cherry hots, lettuce and whatever else. For this challenge, I kept it traditional and as authentic as possible.

Ingredients:

1 Pizza Crust

1 Box of 100% beef steaks or if you can get the butcher to slice thin Steak Rib-Eye

1/4 lb. of sliced provolone cheese (I went with Picante) or 1/3 cup of Cheese Whiz

1/3 cup of Mozzarella cheese

1/2 of onion

1/2 of green bell pepper

Optional:

Sweet Hot Cherry Peppers (hard to find in some regions)

Steak & Veggies:

In a medium pan, break apart steaks in small strips.  When buying the steak, great real beef and not the "Steakum" versions.  Cook on medium heat until all pink is gone and add in onions & peppers.  Cook until peppers and onions are translucent.  Remove from heat and place meat mixture onto a plate with paper towels.  The meat will be very greasy.  Set aside.

Pizza:

Preheat oven to 450 and bake bread till slightly browned or for 7-10 minutes. Lower oven temperature down to 400 degrees. Next, add a layer of mozzarella and sprinkle some of the sweet hot cherry peppers on top (optional).  Then, add beef mixture across the top of the base ensuring all areas are covered.  Finally, add the slices of provolone cheese on top.  Bake for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted on top.  Remove from oven and allow pizza to cool before eating.

Pairing:

When looking for a good beer from PA, there are a few beers that I would go with.  For this challenge, I had two that I wanted to highlight.  Rivertowne Brewery IPA is a newer craft beer company and was pretty good.  Weyerbacher makes some very strong ales and because of my memories with Jason's Woods, I had to do the Imperial Pumpkin Ale.  I would recommend something that contains a lot of citrus or acidic notes like an IPA, to help balance off the cheese steak grease....Lol. Cheers!

Learning Moments:

For this challenge, I was having crust issues but it turned out pretty good.  I originally wanted to get fresh ribeye and have it sliced thin, but Whole Foods did not have a slicer there. They also did not have frozen steaks and being pressed for time, I went to Winn Dixie to get thin steaks from the freezer section.  I would have gone to Publix, but Winn Dixie is right next to Whole Foods.  Any who, I would like to do this challenge again but with the ribeye sliced meat.  The pizza was really good, but I would love the meat to be fresher and not from a frozen box.  Either way, it turned out really good and reminded me of the cheesesteaks from home.  Enjoy!

Week #37: Oregon - Crab Louis Pizza

State: Oregon

Oregon is home to beautiful landscapes and fresh seafood from the Pacific ocean.  Unfortunately I have never been there, but from what I hear it is beautiful there.  The only thing I know about Oregon is the Mighty Ducks at the University of Oregon.  Going into this challenge, I found out the Crab Louis is very popular here and since I have never had Dungeness crab, I had to give it a try.  Being a Maryland native, I am a little picky when it comes to crab meat.  However, I thought the Dungeness crab was very good.  Taking on this challenge, I had a lot of success with the Cobb salad and wanted to see if I could repeat the success with this pizza.  See learning moments for the conclusion of the taste test.

Ingredients:

2 hard-boiled eggs - diced into four sections

8 cherry or grape tomatoes in slices

1/2 lb of Dungeness crab meat or 1 side of the crab

1 avocado - diced

1-2 cups of romaine lettuce

1 pizza crust

Dressing:

1/2 lemon - juiced

salt and pepper to taste

1/3 cup hot chile sauce or Siracha

1/3 cup of mayo (calls for 2/3 cup, but I didn't use as much)

1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Dressing:

Add all ingredients into a bowl and whisk until fully mixed together.  Set aside.

Crab Meat:

When I purchased the crab, it was already cooked and in the shell.  Since they are from the west coast, it is easier for the dealer to transport them cooked or frozen.  Pick all the meat and set aside.

Pizza:

Preheat oven to 450.  First, cook the crust until slightly browned.  Remove from heat and turn heat down to 400.  Add a layer of the dressing to coat the base of the pizza, but ensure to leave some for drizzling after pizza is made.  Add a layer of mozzarella cheese and put into the oven for 5 minutes or until pizza is melted.  Then, add a layer of lettuce and add your veggies.  Then add the eggs, crab meat, parsley, and finish the pizza off with a drizzle of the salad dressing.  Try to get the eggs and the top of crab meat, but not over-powering it.  You want to be able to taste all the veggies with a hint of the dressing.  Add some salt and pepper to taste and eat.  Enjoy! 

Pairing:

When you think of beer from Oregon, you think of Rogue Brewery.  They have been pumping out beers for years and great quality beers at that.  They are the top state in craft beer production in the US.  I went with a Farmhouse 7 Hop IPA to bring in more acidity to the pizza and because I simply love IPA's.  I would go with a stout or a good IPA for this pizza.  For a wine, a nice soft red would be good.  

Learning Moments:

After making the Cobb salad, I thought this pizza was going to be just like the other one, but it was different.  I think the dressing was a little too tart, so I would alter it a little and maybe add some shrimp to the salad.  The pizza was good, but with these minor tweaks it could have turned out to be amazing!  I love salad pizzas now!  I would highly recommend this pizza!  

Week #36 Oklahoma - Sausage & Gravy Pizza

State: Oklahoma

When thinking of Oklahoma, my first thought is Barbeque.  After researching, I learned that sausage and gravy is big there.  I had never thought of making a sausage and gravy pizza before, but I thought I would give it a shot. Let me tell you how amazing this pizza was.  Sometimes the simple pizzas are the best, so you have to give it a try. 

Ingredients:

1 pound of hot pork, chicken or turkey sausage (I used chicken sausage)

1 pizza crust

1/2 cup of cheddar cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

1/3 cup of flour

3-4 cups of milk

Sausage & Gravy:

In a large pan on medium heat, heat a tablespoon or so of canola oil.  Add in the sausage and cook until browned.  Next, slowly add in the flour and stir until it is mixed thoroughly.  After flour is mixed in, slowly add in milk while continuously stirring for 30 seconds or so. Reduce heat to low and allow milk to thicken.  Once mixture is thickened, add in salt and pepper to taste.  Set aside. 

Pizza:

Preheat oven to 450 or 400 depending on crust.  Cook crust for 5-10 minutes depending on crust or until slightly browned.  Remove from oven and set aside.  Add a layer of the sausage gravy over the base of the pizza or until completely covered.  Throw on the cheddar cheese and place back into the oven, cooking for an additional 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.  Remove from heat and allow to cool a little before cutting or eating. 

Pairing:

When pairing a beer with this pizza, I would go with a stout or porter and something darker.  This pizza would be great when it is cold outside and shared with a nice barrel aged stout or imperial porter.  I wasn't able to find a beer from Oklahoma, but once I do, I will add it to the blog.  When pairing a wine, a nice robust red like a Merlot would go very well.  

Learning Moments:

I have said this before, but again, sometimes simplicity is the best.  Sausage and gravy is good anytime, whether in the morning or at night.  Making a sausage and gravy pizza with cheddar cheese was tasty!  I was going to make a biscuit style crust, but I didn't have that much time and I have never made biscuits before, so there goes that.   I would highly recommend this pizza, because it was amazingly good.  Hope you like it!  Enjoy!