Christopher Idone's Lemon Pizza

Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh - this is exciting stuff. This is one of those special recipes. You know, the kind you cut and paste to your fridge to make over and over again, at which point you start to know the recipe by heart and can pass it on to anyone who's ever tried it and oohed and aahed over it, and then to your children and grandchildren, even to your arch-enemies and best friends. It's timeless. It's elegant. It's perfect. It's easy.

The recipe comes from an article on lemons that Christopher Idone wrote in the New York Times Magazine last summer (when his name kept popping up all over the place, from an article on Brazilian food in the LA Times, to an odd piece on summer Thanksgiving in the New York Times that I mentioned, back when this blog was a wee fledgling and still so stilted and weird to read). Idone wrote up alluring recipes for lemon fritters (salty or sweet), roasted lemon shells filled with tapenade, and then this pizza.

Oh, this pizza. Every time I'd leaf through my clippings, I'd stop at the recipe and stare at it, figuring out an occasion on which to make it. Finally, last night, the opportunity presented itself at an Australian wine-tasting and dinner-party that a group of enterprising girlfriends of mine organized. On my lunch break, I ran to Whole Foods to pick up prepared pizza dough, creme fraiche and organic lemons, then on to a different store to get salmon roe. At home, I rolled out the dough with a rolling pin, then lifted it up and did my best to jiggle and stretch it to the appropriate size. I covered the surface with thinly sliced lemons, cracked black pepper and olive oil, then slid the pizza into the oven.

25 minutes later it emerged, crust browned and crisp, the lemons nicely toasted and barely shriveled. After it had cooled, I spread creme fraiche carefully over the surface (using only half of what Idone called for, otherwise it'd be far too gloppy), and then dotted the creme fraiche with glowing dots of salmon roe (again, I used less than called for: 4 ounces instead of 6). I'd say you should absolutely invest in a pizza cutter before making this - I butchered it by attempting to slice it with a bread knife. And did you notice that no salt was required? I had to hold myself back from sprinkling salt on the lemons along with the pepper and olive oil. But it was worth it.

The combination of puckery lemons (at once still sour and yet fragrant from the high heat in the oven), smooth cream, salty and soulful roe, and crunchy crust was a revelation. Each bite was delicate but satisfying, new and somehow still familiar. The pizza was beautiful to look at, but even better to eat. And the possibilities are endless. Need an appetizer for a holiday like Thanksgiving or Christmas? Try this: it's light enough and yet totally mouth-watering. Want something simple to serve to guests at a weeknight dinner party? Make this: the preparation is so swift and simple - there's barely even anything to clean up. Want a simple lunch to eat outside on a warm afternoon? Serve this along with a lightly dressed salad. Whatever you do, be prepared to dole out the recipe. People will be asking for it.

Lemon Pizza
Serves 8 as an appetizer

12 ounces prepared pizza dough
3 lemons, ends trimmed and discarded, sliced paper thin, seeds removed
Freshly ground black pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup creme fraiche (I used 1/4 cup)
6 ounces good-quality salmon caviar (I used 4 ounces)

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees and roll dough out to roughly 12 inches in diameter and very thing - about 1/6-inch thick. Place on a greased sheet pan, or heat a pizza stone in the oven. Cover surface of dough with lemon slices, overlapping them very slightly. Sprinkle with pepper and olive oil. Transfer pizza to hot pizza stone or place the sheet pan in the oven.

2. Bake until dough is brown and crisp, 15 to 20 minutes. If the lemons brown too quickly, cover the surface of the dough with foil until dough is cooked through.

3. Remove the pizza from the oven and let cool. Spread creme fraiche over the surface and dot with caviar. Cut into wedges and serve.

Comments

[Melissa]

Wow, what an interesting recipe! Who would have thought that whole lemon slices on a pizza would be good? Thanks for the great writeup - I'll definitely bookmark this one.

[tokyoastrogirl]

Wow this is so gorgeous. I love salmon roe paired with a creamy element and this sounds like the perfect dish. Will definitely make it for guests (or maybe just myself!) next time.

[lindy]

Oh, this sounds so good. I have to find some people to eat it with me. You wouldn't believe how many folks, who are non vegetarian, and otherwise adventurious eaters, who don't like any kind of caviar. What to do with them and their crazy anti-caviar mind set? sigh.

[sam]

you've got me all excited.
I have to try a version of this.!!
As the BF wont eat fish - I will have to think of something else for him although I fancy the idea of a smoked salmon instead of roe myself.

[sam]

ps - i do like roe - I am not one of THOSE people. Just like smoked salmon even more.

[pam]

ooh, pizza is my new favorite thing to make (homemade dough and all) so i'm going to have to try this. thanks! love your site, btw.

[Bakerina]

Oh, this pizza indeed. It sounds superb, and your enthusiasm over it just crackles off the page. (Screen?) I've reread this three times, and I'm still smiling. Thank you, Luisa!

[Julie]

Wow! You make me want to make it.

[Tania]

Luisa, this looks fantastic! I simply have to try this! I take it the lemons are regular (Eureka?) lemons and not Meyer lemons, yes?

[Fran]

What a mental image of delicious flavors and textures you created!!! I am making this pizza for lunch!! --Oh, the greatness of Spring Break--

[Luisa]

Melissa - I know, it sounds weird, but trust me, it's delicious. Just make sure to get those lemon slices as thin as possible (without slicing your fingers in the process).

Anne - thank you. Your guests will love it, I'm sure.

Lindy - I always think that salmon roe is sort of different from black caviar - I don't know why. It seems "easier" to eat... if people eat salmon sushi, they should be able to eat salmon roe, no? Sigh.

Sam - smoked salmon could be great on this. Though of course nothing has that glorious mouthfeel of gluey little fish eggs popping gently under your teeth... yum.

Pam - thank you very much! I'm also a little obsessed with homemade pizza-making (inspired by Fran and Alizah), but I have to say this works surprisingly well with bought dough (shock, horror, I know).

Bakerina - thank you thank you thank you. You are too kind! Such a nice comment. I'm glad you could "hear" my enthusiasm. ;)

Julie - do it, do it!

Tania - yes, I used regular lemons. Meyers would be too sweet, I think. You really want the straightforward zip of a regular lemon.

Fran - Thank you! Mr. Pizza Maker Extraordinaire, I confess I thought of you when I pulled this out of the oven. I'll bet it'll come out even better on your pizza stone. Enjoy!

[Alizah]

Still at work, I am drooling over the keyboard. But Fran's comment above reveals what will be awaiting me when I get home. Thank you, Luisa, thank you!!! I owe you one for this...

[Luisa]

Alizah - I feel so powerful - determining what you eat for lunch all the way from New York! :) Hope it's tasty.

[Fran and Ali]

well, so we made it. We really liked it because it was complex, multilayered and unusual. Beware if you make really thin (Roman style) crust that the lemons will overpower everything. We included bits of smoked salmon and a few capers and, still, lemons dominated, although the other flavors were distinctly present on the canvas afforded by the Creme Fraiche. Textures were great,with the crunchy crust, the salty caviar and the cream. This recipe will go into our repertoire. By the way, we had it with a Chardonay but I bet that Prosecco, better yet, Cava would make wonders for this dish.

[shauna]

Okay, not fair! What I wouldn't give for a pre-made pizza crust i could eat. Sigh. Oh well, this just gives me even more reason to perfect my gluten-free pizza crust dough.

Lovely and giggly and wonderfully alive, my dear.

[Luisa]

Fran & Ali - capers! What a great idea. So glad you liked it - and yes, I think Cava or Prosecco would be the best accompaniment.

Shauna - it's funny: everytime I cook something now, I think about whether or not you could eat it. Don't worry: I've got some good gluten-free things coming up. But get cracking on that crust! Then, when you've perfected the dough, you can make Whole Foods sell it next to the regular raw pizza dough and make a killing.

[Erin]

What a gorgeous recipe, thanks for sharing - I will make it when I'm feeling uninspired, because it looks like the kind of recipe that pulls you out of a cooking rut.

[Rebecca Pollak]

I make a lot of home made pizza and this recipe is truly unique; I love the lemon idea, it reminds me of an old-fashioned Shaker lemon pie, which also uses sliced whole lemons. I really don't like caviar or roe, though, and was already thinking of capers when I saw that someone else suggested them. Another idea might be bits of sun-dried tomatoes.

[Jed]

Do you think substituting Taramasalat for creme fraishe would work?

[sam]

Luisa - I just went to Coc500 in SF for lunch and I had the most divine pizza ever for lunch and it reminded me so much of this post. It was a really thin pizza with thin lemon. Then for last the last minute of cooking they topped it with slivers of fennel and creme fraiche, capers and slices of house cured salmon - leaving it in long enough only to gently warm it, the salmon didnt cook at all, then they topped it with dill, tarragon, some little green sprouts, chicory, flat leaf parsley and celery leaves. It was SO UBELIEVABLY divine, words can hardly express how delicious. I loved the way the bitterness of the lemon and chicory played against the softness of the salmon and cream. Ooh la la. I wasnt sure if the cream was cooked on the pizza for longer or only the last minute, but I am surely going to have to try and replicate it at home.

[Frank]

For some very good free recipes try http://www.1pizzasecrets.com. Try the "philly cheese steak" pizza

[Marie]

Luisa, I've barely ever cooked with creme fraiche in my life. Do you think a fluffy ricotta would go equally well with this pizza? Or should I really go out and get me some creme?

[Luisa]

Marie - ricotta is a totally different thing from creme fraiche. Could you use it here? I guess, though the outcome wouldn't be the same. Ricotta and salmon roe doesn't really sound like a yummy combination to me, but let me know how it was if you try it!