“‘Cause a month on the road and I’ll be eating from your hand”
Theme song by Aerosmith “Sweet Emotion” from Toys In The Attic
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Aerosmith makes another appearance in Music & Food with a classic track from a classic album that was a major soundtrack for youth. I’m not saying Dazed and Confused is a documentary of my high school years, but I’m also not saying it isn’t. What I will say is the first four Aerosmith albums are some of the finest examples of how to rock and have truly stood the test of time.
So, what does this theme song have to do with this pizza? Well, it’s definitely got a sweetness factor in both the chickwheat coated in sweet chili sauce and the caramelized pineapple. The “emotion” here is the divisiveness created by putting both pineapple and a sweet BBQ sauce on a pizza. Either you’re gonna love it or you’re going to have a bit of trauma.
SWEET EMOTION PIZZA
Sweet chili chickwheat, caramelized pineapple, red onion, mozzarella, cheddar, parmesan, pizza sauce
Detroit Style Pizza Dough (see recipe link below)
8 ounces of chickwheat, shredded (see recipe link below)
1 tablespoon olive oil
3-4 tablespoons Sweet Chili sauce (see recipe below)
1 cup Pickled Pineapple (see recipe below)
1/2 red onion, quartered & thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups Pizza Sauce (see recipe below)
8 ounces low moisture mozzarella, chut onto small cubes
3 ounces extra sharp cheddar, cut into small cubes
2 ounces parmesan, shredded
Start by heating a skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium heat. Add the olive oil and heat until shimmering. Add the chickwheat and cook until lightly crispy. Transfer the chickwheat to a bowl and toss with the sweet chili sauce. Set aside.
In the same hot skillet, add the pineapple. Cook, stirring often, until the juices have evaporated and the pineapple takes on a golden-brown caramel color. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Make the pizza sauce and set aside.
When the dough is ready, preheat your oven to 500°F and place a rack on the lowest position in the oven. Start by putting 2/3 of the cheddar and mozzarella directly on the dough making sure to place the cheese along the edges. Top the cheese with the chickwheat, pineapple, and red onion. Cover with 1/2 of the remaining cheese. Ladle the sauce in two rows running the length of the pizza. Top with the last of the cheese.
Bake for 14-15 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown and the crust is crisp and frying. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
King Arthur Detroit Pizza Dough
https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/king-arthurs-detroit-style-pizza-recipe
Chickwheat
https://bushwickgrillclub.com/betcha-got-a-chickwheat-on-the-side/
Pizza Sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 medium cloves of garlic, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons dried basil
1 1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper or red pepper flakes
1 28oz can whole peeled tomatoes
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Put whole tomatoes into a large bowl and crush my hand.
Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until softened and aromatic, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes. Stir in sugar and salt. Bring to a bare simmer and allow to cook for about 15 minutes to let flavors meld. Set aside and allow to cool slightly.
Pickled Pineapple
1 pineapple (cut into chunks)
The juice from the cut pineapple\
1-1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup water
1/3 cup white vinegar
10 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick, broken in half
Combine water, juice, vinegar, sugar, and spices in a large pan. Bring to a boil and add the pineapple. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Ladle the pineapple into clean sterilized jars and top off with the syrup. Keep it in the fridge.
Sweet Chili Sauce
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
1/2 cup water
4 ounces white sugar
5 cloves of garlic, finely minced
1 tablespoon soy sauce
3 ounces Sambal Oelek
4 teaspoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons water
Add the vinegar, water, sugar, garlic, and soy sauce to a non-stick pan.
Heat over medium heat, while stirring, to dissolve the sugar. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a boil. Let simmer for 2 minutes.
Add the sambal oelek and stir to combine thoroughly. Let it cook for 5 minutes on medium-low heat until slightly thickened.
Mix the cornstarch and water into a smooth slurry and add it to the sauce.
While stirring often to prevent burning, simmer the sauce for another 5-8 minutes until it reaches your desired thickness. Bear in mind this sauce will thicken as it cools. If it gets too thick, add a little water to thin it out.
Once cooled, pour into an airtight bottle or jar and store in the fridge.