that’s amore.

let me begin by saying that my boy made oh-so-very happy sounds while eating this pizza.  it is a lovely beginning to a very good morning, the perfect antidote to a hard afternoon at the office & just right for lunch in between.  it is decadent, to be sure & with all of the amazing ingredients – bacon!  brie!  eggs!  fresh mozzarella! – is comforting but surprisingly not heavy.  let me also say that scrambling eggs is a pursuit with which i am fairly obsessed.  i like them cooked slowly, over low-heat, soft & creamy (though made without cream).  the eggs for this recipe should be very soft as they will cook for a few additional minutes in the oven.  when prepared this way, the eggs are custardy & will melt into the pizza topping in the most delicious way.   

pizza with bacon & egg (makes one 12-inch pie)
(adapted from food & wine magazine)
6 oz. thick-sliced bacon, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
4 large eggs
kosher salt
2 T unsalted butter
all-purpose flour for dusting
1 pizza dough (purchased from a pizzeria or trader joe’s), i like whole wheat
1/3 C. crème fraîche
3 oz. brie, with rind, thinly sliced
2 oz. fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
chili flakes, to taste
a fistful of rocket (wild arugula)

preheat the oven to 500°.  spread the bacon in a pie plate and bake for 15 minutes, stirring once, until nearly crisp.  using tongs, transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain.

whisk the eggs in a bowl.  in a medium nonstick skillet, cook the eggs & 1 T of the butter over low heat using a rubber spatula, until curds form & the eggs are creamy, about 12 minutes.  remove the eggs from the heat & stir in the remaining 1 T of butter (this will stop the eggs from continuing to cook) & season with salt.

on a lightly floured work surface, stretch out the pizza dough to a 12-inch roundish rectangle and transfer to a cookie sheet.  spread the crème fraîche evenly over the dough, leaving a 1-inch border all around.  top with the crispy bacon.  tear the brie and mozzarella into smaller pieces & evenly distribute across the dough.  sprinkle with red chili flakes.

slide into the oven & bake for about 7 minutes, until lightly golden and bubbling.  remove the pizza from the oven and spoon the scrambled eggs on top.  return the pizza to the oven bake for 2 minutes longer, until the eggs are hot.  top pizza with the rocket, cut into wedges and serve.