Fig, prosciutto & caramelised onion pizza

I was given a heap of figs by my grandparents a while ago. I am not too keen on just eating figs as they are so I decided to do something a little different. I had previously used figs to make a fig & goats cheese tranche before (oh what a dreadful photo back then).  It was really good. I had managed to buy 3 kgs of onions as I kept forgetting there was already some in the cupboard so I decided that I needed to cook up some caramelised onions. Since I was doing that I thought that combining those two things would work on a pizza. I am usually a very safe person when it comes to pizza so I decided that it was time to try something different.

This was so very good. It certainly was a wonderful attempt at something a bit different on a pizza. I was a little worried that with the caramelised onion and figs that it would be a bit sweet but it wasn't. I think that the prosciutto cut through the sweetness.

Caramelised onions

1 kg onions

1 tbsp oil 

1 tbsp rapadura sugar (or brown sugar)

Finely slice onions, I use a v-slicer. 

Heat oil in a large pan over a low heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are soft. Add sugar and continue cooking until onions are almost melting.

Fig, prosciutto & caramelised onion pizza

1 pizza base 

2 - 3 tbsp caramelised onions

2 slices prosciutto, torn

3 figs, thickly sliced 

4 baby bocconcini, torn

Handful rocket

Top base with ingredients in order except for rocket.

Heat pizza maker and cook pizza for 5 - 6 minutes.   (Or preheat oven to 180 C and bake until golden)

Top with rocket and serve. 

May 2003 - Midweek Pizza

This is the first actual Italian issue from delicious. magazine. There is great variety of food in it. It is not the only Australian food magazine that does an annual Italian issue, I think that most of them do these days. I cannot say whether or not delicious. did it first either. I would like to think so but I just don't know.

There were a number of different recipes that I wanted to make from issue #16. The Semolina Shortbread with Caramelised Apples looked divine and I tossed up whether to make this or another dessert from a later issue for a long time before finally deciding on the other one. I really like caramelised apples. I have been known to slice up an apple, caramelise it and serve with ice cream or custard for a quick and tasty dessert. Plus it is very easy to make for one.

The other thing that really caught my eye was Maggie Beer's Rabbit with Anchovies and Roasted Garlic. I remember eating rabbit as a child but I do not think that I have ever eaten it as an adult and I have certainly never cooked it for myself. I was intrigued and the recipe seemed easy enough. However, at my butcher, and all the others in town, rabbits need to be ordered in and the price I was quoted was more than I wanted to spend on a meal just for myself. I think if I was to have someone over, like my grandparents, I would probably buy one and make the meal. They were away when I was choosing recipes so it wasn't possible to have them over.

I ended up deciding to make Valli Little's Midweek Pizza from the regular Tuesday Night Cooking section. To be honest I didn't follow Valli's recipe at all but I did make a quick and easy pizza. I used Lebanese bread for the base. Topped with home made pizza sauce (that I keep in the freezer), sliced onion, very finely slice Sicilian hot salami, black olives, semi-dried tomatoes and baby bocconcini and baked at 200 C for 15 minutes. It was just perfect for a quick after work meal and something that I do every couple of weeks.