Oyster Mushrooms & Jujubes
Mashed root vegetables (celeriac, rutabaga, parsnips, carrots, Yukon gold potatoes), sun-dried jujubes, sauteed oyster mushrooms, shaved carrots, fresh tarragon, Gruyere
We found these sun-dried jujubes at the Fair Food Farmstand in Reading Terminal Market. Like most jujubes found in the US, they are meant to be eaten in their dried form, and the result is a sweet flavor kind of similar to dates, but slightly milder. Rather than being sticky like dates, though, the texture is closer to that of a dried apple, with a similar skin as well. For that reason, if you can't find jujubes, I would suggest either using dried apples or even sautéing some fresh apples with the mushrooms in for this pizza. This recipe was also inspired by Tina Nordström's Scandinavian Cooking, where she actually does use apples and mushrooms together, so I think it would be a delicious substitute.
Recipe
Ingredients:
1 ball of pizza dough
flour for dusting
semolina flour for pizza stone
olive oil
salt & pepper
handful of jujube fruits, sliced crosswise
7 ounces of oyster mushrooms (if large ones, cut them into bite size pieces, otherwise whole is fine)
butter for sautéing
1/2 carrot, sliced thinly (on a mandoline if you have one)
fresh tarragon leaves for garnish
1 hunk Gruyere, grated
For the root veggie mash:
1/4 celeriac, peeled & chopped
1/4 rutabaga, peeled & chopped
1/2 parsnip, peeled & chopped
1-2 carrots, peeled & chopped
1 medium Yukon gold potato, peeled & chopped
1 tablespoon butter
Directions:
Preheat your oven to 450° F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and boil all of your root vegetables together until soft, about 12 minutes. (The best way to ensure they cook at the same rate is to cut them all the same size).
Drain your vegetables, saving about 150 ml of the cooking water. Pour this water into a bowl with the vegetables and mash them with a potato masher. Stir in the butter (cut it into a couple pieces to help it melt faster) along with salt & pepper to taste.
Pour the entire mixture into a baking dish and bake for about 3-5 minutes. When it’s finished, take it out and increase your oven temperature to 550° F.
Meanwhile, melt a pat of butter over medium heat and add your mushrooms, sautéing until they have softened and become a nutty brown.
When your oven is hot, prepare your dough using the instructions on the right. After you’ve baked it for a minute, take it out and brush it lightly with olive oil. Spoon out the root vegetable mixture in an even layer, followed by the grated Gruyere.
Next, add the mushrooms and jujubes and bake until the crust is a nice golden brown. Take it out and top with the shaved carrots and fresh tarragon, and enjoy!