Thai Chicken Pizza

So, this week I held my first Cook with Me class for kids and parents. I've created lesson plans for a series of about 5 to 6 classes that cover some fundamental topics. This first class started off with the fun and magic of yeast. Our plan was to cover the following: 

• Basic Pizza Dough
• Basic Tomato Sauce
• Thai Chicken Pizza
• Cucumber and Tomato Salad
• Sweet Yeast Dough (Monkey Bread)
• Simple Caramel Sauce

At many other cooking camps, the hands on portion is rather limited with much of the preparation being done in advance by staff and the kids doing just the basics. I wanted the kids to really get a sense of how to prepare and cook an entire meal - we had a lot of hands on time with the kids measuring ingredients, making conversions from teaspoons to tablespoons, etc and kneading and shaping the dough. Additionally, we discussed the science of yeast, we talked about why it is important to read through your recipes before you start to cook and how important it is to follow directions. We also discovered the long and varied history of pizza from the ancient Etruscans all the way to the influences of celebrity chefs like Wolfgang Puck.

As usual, I was a bit overly ambitious with my plan, but I'd far rather have too much on the plan than not enough. The kids made the basic pizza dough (2 full batches) and the sweet yeast dough for Monkey bread. They were doing all of the measuring and we were talking a lot. Thus, we started to run short on time and it was apparent something was going to have to get cut. The consensus was that we would cut the Thai Chicken Pizza - The kids would go home with the recipe in their packet of information and could test out their newly learned skills at home later. 

This also meant that I had all of the fixin's for said TCP in the fridge - lucky us! We love this particular pizza which can be found at a number of restaurants these days and after making it, we all wondered what in the world took us so long to do so. 

A pretty solid recreation, here's what I did.

Thai Chicken Pizza (makes 2) 

(inspired by EZ's Restaurant)

• 1 batch peanut sauce (see below)
• 1 batch Thai chicken pieces (see below)
• 1 batch pizza dough - use your own recipe or see
  here for a basic recipe
• 2 Cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 4 green onions, slivered on the diagonal
• 1/2 Cup white mung bean sprouts (do not use canned - locally, I've found fresh (in a bag) at Sprouts)
• 1/4 Cup carrots (shredded or julienne- depending upon your preference)
• 4 Tbsp roasted peanuts (chopped)
• 4 Tbsp fresh cilantro (chopped)

1. Spread peanut sauce evenly over pizza dough rounds within the rim.
2. Cover with an even layer of shredded cheese.
3. Place half of the prepared chicken pieces over the cheese followed by half of the green onions, bean sprouts and carrots.
4. Sprinkle a bit more cheese over the toppings and top pizza with half of the chopped peanuts.
5. Transfer to oven and bake until crisp and golden and cheese is bubbling (about 12-15 minutes)
6. Remove from oven and sprinkle with half of the fresh cilantro.
7. Repeat with remaining ingredients for a second pizza. 

Peanut Sauce

• 1/2 Cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 Cup Hoisin sauce *
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 1 Tbsp oyster sauce *
• 2 Tbsp toasted sesame oil *
• 2 Tbsp water
• 2 Teaspoons soy sauce*
• 2 Teaspoons red wine vinegar
• 2 fresh garlic cloves, minced

* can be found on the international aisle in the Asian foods section

1. In a small pan, combine all of the sauce ingredients. Bring sauce to a boil over medium heat. 
2. Boil gently for one minute, stirring frequently. If sauce seems to thicken a bit too much, thin with water and whisk until smooth. (Sauce will be a similar consistency as cake frosting- a bit paste-ish; smearable.)
3. Divide into two portions: one for the pizza and one for the chicken; set aside.

Thai Chicken Pieces

• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 3/4 in cubes
• 1-2 Tbsp olive oil

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken pieces and cook, stirring frequently, until the pieces are just cooked (about 5-6 minutes - do not overcook)
2. Set aside in the refrigerator until thoroughly chilled.
3. Once completely cooled, use about 1/4 cup of the spicy peanut sauce to coat the chicken. and then return to the refrigerator.

This pizza was out of this world - a loyal recreation and a really nice summer selection. I strongly recommend you try this and that you choose to cook it on the grill rather than in the home oven - you won't be disappointed.

Happy Cooking!

sld

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