Chorizo & Thyme Pizza

see copyright notice. Page created 30-Jun-2001 updated 3-Feb-2020. Use the button groups above to navigate quickly around the site.

This page started life in the "Basse Cuisine" section of my old website, but I've promoted it into this new "Kitchen" section. If and when I add a few more serious recipes, I'll review the classification again!

I think the combination of chorizo and fresh thyme works really well. It's fun to assemble, and as it uses half of most ingredients and the bases come in pairs, you can save the kit for another one in the fridge.

It's nice to make the base yourself. I've done so occasionally (usually as a bonus when making bread) but for once I concede that the commercial product is quite OK. The bases I use are "long-life" (vacuum-sealed, not chilled) and claim to be Italian. A tip: if you find the crust of your pizza is too hard or burnt, next time try brushing a little water round the edge before it goes into the oven.

Ingredients

Use organic if available - complain if not!

• 1 medium (9-inch) pizza base
• 120g Chorizo sausage, skinned and cut into slices or chunks [note: quality varies, beware inferior versions which are full of gristle]
• 75g Tomato purée (unsalted)
• 60g Mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
• Half a small onion, chopped
• Half a medium green pepper, minus seeds and membranes, cut into small squares
• 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• A few leaves of basil, chopped
• A few sprigs of thyme, chopped (minus any woody stems)
• Olive oil

Method

Prepare the ingredients as above, then preheat your oven to 200°C, Gas Mark 6, placing a baking sheet on the bottom shelf to catch the inevitable drips. Assemble the pizza: put the base on a large plate, paint with olive oil (use a pastry brush) and cover with a uniform layer of tomato purée, going as close to the edge as you dare. Lay the slices of mozzarella on top of the tomato. Mix together the chopped garlic and herbs, and sprinkle on. Distribute the chorizo pieces, then fill in the gaps with the onion and green pepper. On no account add any seasoning.

Carefully lift your creation from its plate, wipe round the edge to minimise drips, and place directly on a shelf in the centre of the oven. Bake for 16 minutes, then deftly remove with a fish slice onto a preheated plate.

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