Monday, May 19, 2008

Potato Pesto Pizza - Hot Starch-on-Starch Action!

One of the cardinal sins of menu planning is putting two starches together on a plate. There are a few exceptions, like Thanksgiving stuffing and mashed potatoes, or potato and macaroni salad at the company picnic, but it's just not something that's usually done.

There have been stories of crazed chefs (redundant?) that have refused a customer's request for a side of rice because they had ordered pasta. That's why I've posted the extra bonus clip below. It's from the must-see movie Big Night. I've posted it here a long time ago, but I never get tired of it, and it's fitting for today's recipe.


Today's video recipe is a potato pizza with pesto, red onions, feta and much, much more. While it may sound odd on paper (or screen), it's quite delicious, and makes a good case for exceptions to the no starch-with-starch rule. Besides, it was a request from my mother-in-law, so what could I say? Enjoy!




Ingredients in order of appearance:

cornmeal on pan

stretch pizza dough to cover

pesto sauce to cover

4 roasted gold potatoes, sliced

salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

parmesan to cover

6 oz fontina cheese

1/2 sliced red onion

more pesto dripped on top

4 oz feta cheese crumbled on top


Famous Scene from Big Night



19 comments:

Anonymous said...

Mmmmm - Its color is green, and one of the main ingredients is potatoes. No Blarney here - this is an Irishman's ideal perfect pizza!

Anonymous said...

:57...deja vu???

Anonymous said...

that looks awesome!
I have a thing about getting a slice of pizza and rolling some fires up inside it mmm...
So thats probably why i wash myself with a rag on a stick...

Anonymous said...

Oh yeah, and where the heck is your Duck Ragu recipe?

Chef John said...

I wish I could afford a rag on a stick.

Chef John said...

duck ragu clip got messed up i think. you may find it on YT. or google it.

Anonymous said...

wow looks real great!

Anonymous said...

Can you say YUM?! Sounds amazing!

Anonymous said...

~Timpano~

Hey Chef,

You should make that for the next recipe, that would be awesome!

btw- don't you love that ending in Big Night

Chef John said...

best ending of a movie EVER.

Marc Anthony's finest work.

Anonymous said...

what kind of pesto is it? basil? i'm unsure and im going to make this with 2 friends of mine so yeah great recipe and video


-harry peace out!

Anonymous said...

what kind of pesto is it? basil? i'm unsure and im going to make this with 2 friends of mine so yeah great recipe and video


-harry peace out!

Chef John said...

yes, basil. I say in the video, i think. Good luck!

Anonymous said...

I always enjoy your videos John, but seeing what I believe to be white socks under shorts....

Shame on you mister!

Greetings from The Netherlands,
Väös

Chef John said...

what do you guys wear with shorts? Black socks? Wooden shoes?

Anonymous said...

Unless you're playing basketball, or some other sport, NO stinkin' SOCKS needed! Shorts should be worn with sandals or flip flops. Ahhh, but when you're cooking, the rules are different - gotta cover those tootsies - I think it is the (yuck!) toe jam rule.

Anonymous said...

good post

Anonymous said...

Ha! that's nothing. In Hawaii you can order spaghetti with meat sauce, accompanied by two scoops of rice, macaroni salad, and garlic bread. Other than that, looks good, like all of the other dishes you show. Thanks for all the work you put into them as they are a great source of inspiration and entertainment.

Silly Ninja said...

Would a regular ol' russet potato work here?