With my Black Garlic being nearly used up, I wanted to see how it performs in a Chicken brine and found it does beautifully. The Buttermilk and salt making the chicken super juicy and tender, combining this with powdered dried Shiitake Mushrooms gives this Black Garlic Brine a fantastic depth of flavour.
The Inspiration
Apart from, of course, the Black Garlic I made a few weeks ago, I found this recipe, using dried porcini mushrooms in the brine. I knew I wanted to brine the chicken for my Black Garlic Roast Chicken Summer Salad, so the combination was perfect.
Check this post for detailed instructions on how to make your own Black Garlic.
The Ingredients
Knowing from my Black Garlic Mushroom Salad how well these work together with their deep umami flavours, I decided to include shiitake in ground form in my brine. Combined with Tamari, adding saltiness and even more layers of flavour, it takes this chicken to a whole new level. Thyme and Lemon ad freshness and zing, while working beautifully with the Black Garlic Butter, I pushed under the skin before roasting.
Meal Prep
While I love being in my kitchen and pottering around, I’m a big fan of preparing whatever I can the day before I make a big meal, like my Black Garlic Roast Chicken Summer Salad. And meal prepping that one too, for the rest of the week. Brining a chicken, the day before roasting plays right into that. It means all I have to do on the day is push some seasoned butter under the skin, and I will be rewarded with a perfectly juicy, incredibly well seasoned bird after just 1h in the oven. (Depending on the size of your chicken that is.)
How to Use
You can just throw some new potatoes into the oven with the chicken, to have them roast alongside (add some lemon wedges, thyme, rosemary, and smashed garlic cloves in their skin too while you are at it) and call it a Sunday roast. Having fantastic leftovers for all kinds of other meals over the week. Or you can go all out with the above-mentioned salad, getting all your veggies in one delicious, colourful bowl. I know which one I prefer in summer.
The brine can be varied endlessly. You could leave out the dried mushrooms if you have none on hand, and just use fresh garlic instead of the black. It will still be delicious. Just make sure you fill it up with cold water after dissolving the salt and sugar in the pot by briefly boiling it. The heat will also release all the herby and lemony flavours, which is what we want here. But you don’t want to warm up your chicken by placing it in the hot water, hence the 2-step process.
And there is my chicken ready to go to rest in the fridge, letting the brine do it’s job. Check my Black Garlic Roast Chicken Summer Salad recipe for the beautiful results.
I’ve kept this recipe separate, as it can be used in so many ways and isn’t mandatory to the salad. Though highly advised.
For more amazing Black Garlic Recipes check these:
With my Black Garlic being nearly used up, I wanted to see how it performs in a Chicken brine and found it does beautifully. The Buttermilk and salt making the chicken super juicy and tender, combining this with powdered dried Shiitake Mushrooms gives this Black Garlic Brine a fantastic depth of flavour.
½cupdried shiitake mushroomsground to a powder in your spice grinder
5black garlic clovespureed with a fork
5fresh garlic clovessmashed
1lemonwashed, zest grated. Rest sliced.
Instructions
In a medium saucepan, combine 2 cups of water, brown sugar, kosher salt, tamari or soy sauce, thyme, fresh garlic, and the ground shiitake mushroom powder. Place the saucepan over medium heat and stir until the sugar and salt dissolve. Remove the saucepan from heat and allow the mixture to cool slightly.
In a large bowl, combine the remaining 2 cups of water and buttermilk. Pour the cooled mixture from the saucepan into the buttermilk-water mixture.
Add the black garlic mash, lemon zest and lemon slices to the brine mixture.
Stir the brine thoroughly to ensure all the ingredients are well combined.
Place the chicken pieces (such as chicken breasts, thighs, or a whole chicken) in a large resealable plastic bag or a container suitable for brining.
Pour the brine mixture over the chicken in the bag or container, making sure the chicken is fully submerged. If needed, add more water to cover the chicken entirely. Do not spill half the brine, because your container is too small. Don’t be like me.
Seal the bag tightly or cover the container with a lid, and place it in the refrigerator to brine. The brining process generally takes 4 to 8 hours, depending on the size of the chicken pieces or the whole chicken. I usually leave it until the next day when I want dinner. Just make sure to not leave it any longer.
During the brining time, you can occasionally turn the chicken or gently shake the container to evenly distribute the flavours.
After the brining time is complete, remove the chicken from the brine and discard the brine.
You can now roast or fry your chicken as usual. Check my Black Garlic Roast Chicken Summer Salad for one way to use it.
Notes
This brine can be used for all kinds of chicken recipes. If you want to roast a whole chicken or make fried chicken parts or just pan fried breast, it will lend flavour and juiciness to your meat.The calories here are calculated assuming 1 whole chicken makes 6 portions. But then, since you throw away the brine after leaving the chicken in it, they only apply very partially in the end, by whatever remains on the chicken skin, so can be neglected. I just added them for completeness of the recipe.
Nutrition
Calories: 110kcal
Nutrition Facts
Black Garlic Brine for Chicken
Amount per Serving
Calories
110
% Daily Value*
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
With the deep umami and liquorice notes of Black Garlic against the lemony tang from the grated zest, this Black Garlic Butter with Lemon really shines. Add to that Dill, complementing the anise flavours and parsley, to add some fresh minerality, you have the perfect accompaniment for any meat.
Why You Want to Make This
Black Garlic
The basic idea came of course from the large jar of Black Garlic I made and had to play with. And play with I did. I also made an incredible Sourdough Chocolate Black Garlic Bread, with notes of fresh coffee. I’m officially in love.
Black garlic is garlic that has been very slowly caramelised, using the maillard reaction to draw out all its sweetness. It has only a tiny hint of garlic flavour left, while the dominant notes are those of umami, caramel, aged balsamic and fruit. It also has a few benefits you can find here.
You can find a super easy way to make it in your rice or pressure cooker in this post.
Everyone needs an extra special compound butter
I don’t know about you, but I’m hooked on compound butter since my mom made her very first garlic bread for parties. It was a novelty back then (Yes, I’m that old!) or maybe it was just very new to me, but god was that good! I still love it, but have since found so many more uses for garlic and herb butter. The most famous one being my Garlic Herb Lemon Roast chicken, which you can find in its Black Garlic incarnation here.
This Black Garlic compound butter doesn’t make just roast chicken better, but is also amazing on steak or burgers. Or simply spread on some fresh sourdough bread. Can I suggest Sourdough Brioche Pretzel Buns?
Can you use fresh garlic? Sure, but once you’ve tried Black Garlic, you won’t go back to it.
The Ingredients
But, back to the compound butter task at hand. My goal was, beside the integration of Black garlic, to have herbs that support it best. Which would be either tarragon or dill, for their anise notes, that go well with the garlic’s liquorice flavours, after you had it caramelise for weeks. (Let me know if you’d like a post describing how I made it. It’s easy. Just takes time). No fresh tarragon was anywhere to be found, so dill it was. And parsley, to add some layers to it and because parsley is always fantastic in any compound butter. The lemon zest lifts up all the flavours and adds freshness to it.
Use good quality unsalted butter here and add salt manually to it. I used Irish butter, considering I live in Ireland.
Season with salt and pepper to taste. I use kosher salt in most of my recipes, unless otherwise specified.
What to use it for
Now from the very obvious use of melting it on freshly grilled steak, you can put this on top of fresh Bread. Try it with my Wholewheat Sourdough Pretzel Buns or the Wholewheat Sourdough Sandwich bread. It’s delicious. My targeted use was a stunning Black Garlic Roast Chicken, which I first brined (the brine also included Black Garlic) and then topped my Summer Salad with. With all those incredible flavours, it barely needed any dressing.
The Process
It’s incredibly easy to make. A few seconds if you have a food processor. Just throw everything in and pulse, until you have creamy herb and garlic speckled butter. Or a few minutes by hand. Just let the butter soften a bit, then mash the Black Garlic with a fork, chop the herbs, season with salt and pepper and mix everything together until you have a homogenous mass.
Scrape every last bit out of the bowl onto a bit of clingfilm, roll and twirl both ends, to make a tight sausage form and leave to firm up in the fridge.
Meal Prep
I actually prepared this butter 2 weeks ago and stored it in my freezer, as I was already planning the chicken. You can do the same, so you always have a super quick seasoning for an ad-hoc roast on hand. It will also keep for two weeks or so in the fridge. Or you can freeze it in slices for up to 6 months, so you always have some at hand when you feel like having steak or chicken or just some warm fresh bread spread with it.
For more amazing Black Garlic Recipes check these:
Now I’d love to hear from you in the comments!
Have you tried this? Did you enjoy it?
What other recipes would you like to see?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please share. It helps me a lot.
Black Garlic Butter with Lemon
With the deep umami and liquorice notes of Black Garlic against the lemony tang from the grated zest, this Black Garlic Butter with Lemon really shines. Add to that Dill, complementing the anise flavours and parsley, to add some fresh minerality, you have the perfect accompaniment for any meat.
Add all the ingredients to the small bowl of your food processor and mix until you have a smooth mass.
Alternatively, if making by hand: In a medium-sized mixing bowl, let the unsalted butter soften at room temperature. Add all remaining ingredients to the softened butter and mix thoroughly with a fork until well combined.
Taste the mixture and adjust the seasoning if desired.
Once the black garlic lemon butter is well mixed, transfer it to a serving dish or roll it into a log shape using plastic wrap.
Refrigerate for at least 1 hour to firm up the butter.
Serve the black garlic lemon butter chilled or at room temperature.
Notes
You can use the black garlic lemon butter to enhance the flavours of grilled meats, roasted vegetables, or spread it on warm crusty bread. It also freezes really well and looks impressive on any spread.
Nutrition
Calories: 105kcal
Nutrition Facts
Black Garlic Butter with Lemon
Amount per Serving
Calories
105
% Daily Value*
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
All the summery flavours of fresh sweetcorn, juicy peaches and sun ripened tomatoes in a bowl with delicious Black Garlic Roast Chicken. Topped with crunchy croutons, that soaked up all the chicken juices and creamy, fresh goats’ cheese. Together with the black garlic vinaigrette, which is oil free, this Black Garlic Roast Chicken Summer Salad makes one delicious feast. All while being incredibly good for you.
The Inspiration
I’ve made plenty of roast chicken salads over the years. The very first one inspired by this stunning recipe from Jamie Oliver. And while I kept the idea with the croutons and tomatoes roasted in the chicken juices, as it’s just too good to pass on, I changed pretty much everything else many times. This summer salad is my favourite incarnation so far, as it just has so much going on.
The Chicken
I rarely have meat, so when I do, I treat it with care. Which is why I brined my free range chicken for this recipe in a buttermilk-black-garlic-brine with pulverised shiitake mushrooms the day before. This not only keeps the chicken super juicy while roasting, it also adds incredible flavour to the meat. If you have never done it, it’s a 10min work step that will take your roast chicken game to a whole new level. This step is optional. But I urge you to try it! It also means you can just prep the day before and, apart from pushing the Black Garlic Lemon Butter under the skin, you’ll have your chicken in the oven in no time. If you don’t want salad, this will also be fantastic just with roasted potatoes, to mop up all the flavourful juices! Maybe some greens on the side. Which brings us right back to the reason I have salad with it in the first place.
Check this post for detailed instructions on how to make your own Black Garlic.
The Ingredients
Crunchy Romaine lettuce as a bed and to catch all the chicken juices. You could use any greens you like here.
Sweetcorn, fresh from the cob. You could griddle this, but my smoke alarm is (the design ideas people have!) right above my hob, which sends the alarm into a frenzy and my dogs into a panic every time I griddle something. So, to save the dogs, the neighbours and myself some trauma and sore ears, I just boiled them briefly.
Now you might just love broccoli as it is, but I really do not. Which is why I jazz it up a bit, by frying some sliced garlic gently in olive oil until golden, adding salt and lemon juice (if you love hot food, which I don’t, you could add chili or red pepper flakes too) and drizzle it over the broccoli to marinate after having it briefly blanched. One thing though: If you are using the same water for broccoli and sweetcorn, boil the corn first, as it will otherwise taste like broccoli. Have a wild guess how I know…
The onion also gets a super quick treatment of lemon juice and salt, to give it zing and take a little of the sharpness out.
Peaches add lovely sweetness while radishes add more crunch and of course more veggie content. I usually try to have at least 5 different plants in my salad, so I know I had my basic 5-a-day all in one dish. Not a hardship with a salad like this!
Of course, we need some creaminess, which comes in form of goats cheese, which I just crumbled over. You could also use feta.
The Dressing
I’m making a super quick and oil free Black Garlic Vinaigrette based on almonds here. I love to use them instead of oil, as they add flavour, protein and fibre and result in a super creamy dressing.
If you don’t have a high-speed blender or food processor, you can either use almond butter and stir with a whisk or make a classic vinaigrette and add mashed Black Garlic to it.
I have salt here in the picture, as I thought it needed extra, but found that the Tamari sauce is enough. Taste your dressing and adjust to suit you.
If you don’t have Black Garlic (go make some!) a honey-lemon vinaigrette with a fruity olive oil will work beautifully.
Meal Prep
For me, making big stunning salads like this one are, what helped me lose 70lb in a year. The whole thing comes together while the chicken is roasting. If you store the separate ingredients in containers, they keep fresh for several days. I usually quickly heat both chicken and bread with tomatoes (maybe the sweetcorn if you don’t like it cold) in a small Pyrex dish in my air fryer or oven, to re-crisp the bread. And it will all taste like freshly made. Maybe better, as the broccoli had time to marinate.
And with that 1h work on my weekend, I’m covered for the whole week dinner wise. If you get tired of bowls of salad (I sure don’t with this one), you could make wraps with the same ingredients. Or a sandwich with the chicken, lettuce, and tomatoes, have the rest on the side as small salad.
How would you use your roast chicken?
If you made this, I’d love to hear about your results in the comments!
What other salads would you like to see?
For more amazing Black Garlic Recipes check these:
Black Garlic Roast Chicken Summer Salad with Black Garlic Vinaigrette
All the summery flavours of fresh sweetcorn, juicy peaches and sun ripened tomatoes in a bowl with delicious Black Garlic Roast Chicken. Topped with crunchy croutons, that soaked up all the chicken juices and creamy, fresh goats’ cheese. Together with the black garlic vinaigrette, which is oil free, this Black Garlic Roast Chicken Summer Salad makes one delicious feast. All while being incredibly good for you.
1chickenideally brined (here) but that part is optional.
1recipe Black Garlic Lemon Butterhere.
1head broccolicut into florets
3cobs sweetcorn
1cupradishesthinly sliced
2romaine lettuce heartsroughly chopped or ripped into bite sized pieces
1red onionthinly sliced
2lemons1 juiced and zested, the other roasted with the chicken
3Peachescut into thin wedges
3thick slices of sourdough breadripped into pieces
2cupscherry tomatoeshalved, seasoned with salt and pepper
1Garlic bulb3 cloves taken off it and peeled. Top cut off the remaining bulb.
2sprigs of rosemarystuff into chicken
1small Goats Cheese log
Olive Oil
Salt andif you like, some red pepper flakes
Black Garlic Vinaigrette - Oil Free
¼cupalmondssoaked for 1h in hot water
½cupwater
1/3cupblack rice vinegar or balsamic vinegar
1tbspraisins
6clovesblack garlic
2clovesfresh garlic
1tbspTamari or soy sauce
Instructions
Drain the almonds
Add to high-speed blender (preferred) or food processor with all the rest of the ingredients
Blend until creamy
In a high-speed blender this will take under a minute. Food processor several minutes and it won’t be as creamy.
Pre-heat your oven to 200C/400F
Slice Black Garlic butter.
Carefully lift the skin of the chicken breast off the meat, sliding your hands under it (I usually do this from the neck side, as the skin doesn’t rip as easy there.
Stuff 2 slices of garlic butter under the skin of each breast
Stuff rosemary and the juiced and zested lemon halves into the chicken cavity
Smear most of the remaining butter all over the chicken and put it into an oven proof tin, larger than the chicken, so you can add the tomatoes halfway through the roasting
After the chicken was in the oven for about 30min, take it out, tumble the tomatoes around it and swish in the juices a little.
Add the rest of the garlic bulb, to have roast garlic later
Marinate the sliced onion in the juice of 1 lemon, sprinkled with a bit of salt. It will go pretty and pink during the marinating and lose some of its sharpness.
Cook sweetcorn for 10-15 minutes. Let it cool for a bit, then slice the kernels off the cobs with a sharp knife
Blanch Broccoli florets for 3 minutes, then plunge into iced water
Thinly slice garlic cloves and gently fry in olive oil until golden. Add salt, juice of 1 lemon and (if using) red pepper to oil. Leave to cool for a bit
Drizzle the fragrant oil and garlic over your blanched broccoli and leave to stand for a while to marinate
Once your chicken is beautiful golden brown and the juices run clear when cutting into the thickest part of the leg, take it out of the roasting tin on a plate and loosely cover with foil to rest.
Depending on how your garlic bulb looks, you may want to take it out too at this point. If you see bit of golden brown on top of the cut parts, it’s ready
Meanwhile, toss the bread pieces into the tin with the tomatoes and carefully turn them in the chicken-tomato juices, so they are evenly coated.
Add back to the oven for another 10-15minutes, until the bread pieces are lightly golden brown on the tips. The goal is, to have the tops slightly crispy and the bottoms soak up most of the juices, but not burn bread or tomatoes. So, keep a close eye on them while you assemble your salad.
While the bread is in the oven and the chicken resting, assemble the salad
Lay a bed of romaine into the bowl (or each plate).
Top with sliced radishes.
Drizzle with some of the Black Garlic Vinaigrette and toss thoroughly until all the leaves have a thin coating.
Top with some of the sweetcorn, broccoli florets and peach slices.
Now carve your chicken into bite sized pieces
Take the tin with bread croutons and tomatoes out of the oven.
Spread crunchy croutons and juicy tomatoes over your salad
Top with chicken pieces, some onion rings and creamy goats’ cheese.
If you like, squish some roasted garlic out of its papery skin onto the chicken and the bread
Drizzle with a little more of the vinaigrette and any of the delicious buttery chicken juices that might be left in the roasting tin
Enjoy all the juicy, flavourful layers, knowing you are eating really healthy. Doesn’t feel like it, does it? More like an indulgent feast. That’s what I’m here for.
Notes
If you don’t have a high-speed blender or food processor for the dressing, you can either use almond butter and stir with a whisk or make a classic vinaigrette and add mashed Black Garlic to it. If you don’t have Black Garlic (go make some!) a honey-lemon vinaigrette with a fruity olive oil will work beautifully.For Meal prep: Store the ingredients in separate containers in the fridge to keep them fresh for about 3-4 days. Reheat croutons, tomatoes and chicken in the oven or air fryer, to crisp them back up and have your salad taste like freshly made.Total Estimated Nutrition per Portion: Calories: Approximately 530-550 Fat: Approximately 25-27 grams Protein: Approximately 22-24 grams Carbohydrates: Approximately 57-60 grams Fiber: Approximately 9-10 grams Sugar: Approximately 18-20 grams
Nutrition
Calories: 540kcal
Nutrition Facts
Black Garlic Roast Chicken Summer Salad with Black Garlic Vinaigrette
Amount per Serving
Calories
540
% Daily Value*
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Keyword Black Garlic, For Guests, Healthy, High Fibre, High Protein, Low Calorie
This No Yeast Sourdough Wholewheat Pizza Crust makes a beautifully thin and crispy Italian style Pizza crust with lots of flavour from sourdough and added malt sirup. I’m particularly fond of using this as my “Emergency Pizza” in form of freezing it in portions and just leaving it out a few hours before I want Pizza.
Ingredients and my Adaptations
While traditional Italian pizza crust tends to be made from 00 flour, I found that the mix of the two bread flours below is not only easier to find (at least in Ireland), but also makes for a slightly healthier version. The sourdough gives extra flavour and makes it easier digestible for the body. It also means diabetics can eat it within reason, as it has a lower glycemic index than simple yeast white pizza crust. While you can certainly make it without the malt sirup and vitamin C, these two additions have given my pizza crust that little extra I was missing for years, when trying to replicate the flavour and consistency I found in good restaurants. The malt sirup replaces the usual honey or sugar and adds a lovely malt flavour to the crust, while Vitamin C helps with the structure of the dough, so it rises great, despite the slightly heavier wholewheat flour and the crust will get crunchier.
Nutrition
One whole crust has about 400 calories, about 10g protein and 5-6g fibre, so depending on your toppings, this could be part of a healthy meal.
The Secret to crispy and chewy Pizza Crust
When you bake this, make sure to preheat your pizza stone or oven tray, as it makes a huge difference in how the crust bakes, as it’s only in the oven for around 12 minutes. A hot stone/tray means you get a cooked through and crispy crust, a cold one will have it soggy and possibly half raw under the toppings. I used a small bit of grated cheese around the edge after rolling it out, then folded the edges around it, to make a raised and filled crust that puffed up beautifully and gave it the classic Italian look with the added benefit of lovely, melted cheese inside.
Meal Prep
Usually I make a double portion of this and freeze most of it in portion sized balls, to always have “emergency pizza” on hand, without having to resort to the supermarket stuff. Taking it out of the freezer a few hours before you want to bake it will make for a fast and delicious dinner. Being a simple sourdough, you can use this for all kinds of quick baked goods. I successfully made Garlic Butter Naans and Dinner Rolls from the exact same dough, just deciding spontaneously what I felt like on any given evening.
Try this topped with beautiful summer peaches, Brie and Serrano ham from my recipe here. Or any topping of your choice. Whatever you have in your fridge.
What are your favourite ways to use sourdough?
No Yeast Sourdough Wholewheat Pizza Crust
This No Yeast Sourdough Wholewheat Pizza Crust makes a beautifully thin and crispy Italian style Pizza crust with lots of flavour from sourdough and added malt sirup. I’m particularly fond of using this as my “Emergency Pizza” in form of freezing it in portions and just leaving it out a few hours before I want Pizza.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the sourdough starter, warm water, olive oil, and malt syrup (or honey). Mix well until the ingredients are fully incorporated.
Add the white bread flour, whole wheat bread flour, kosher salt, and vitamin C powder to the bowl. Mix the ingredients together with a spoon or spatula until they form a shaggy dough.
Transfer the dough onto a clean, lightly floured surface or your stand mixer. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes until it becomes smooth and elastic. If the dough feels too sticky, you can add a small amount of flour, but try to avoid adding too much as it can make the crust dense.
Place the kneaded dough back into the mixing bowl and cover it with a damp kitchen towel or plastic wrap. Let the dough rise at room temperature for about 4-6 hours, or until it has roughly doubled in size. Alternatively, you can refrigerate the dough overnight for a slow fermentation, which will enhance the flavour.
Once the dough has risen, divide it into 4 equal portions. Shape each portion into a round ball by folding the edges towards the centre, creating tension on the surface of the dough.
Place the dough balls onto a baking sheet covered with baking parchment and cover them with a damp kitchen towel or plastic wrap. Allow the dough to rest for an additional 1-2 hours at room temperature, or until they have risen slightly.
Preheat your oven to its highest temperature (usually around 500°F or 260°C). Place your baking tray or, if you have it, your pizza stone, in the oven during the preheating process to allow it to get hot.
Now it's time to shape the pizza crusts. Take one dough ball and flatten it into a disc using your hands or a rolling pin. Gradually stretch the dough by picking it up and allowing gravity to stretch it. Rotate and stretch the dough until you achieve your desired thickness and shape.
Transfer the shaped dough onto a piece of parchment paper or a lightly floured pizza peel. Add your favourite pizza toppings, such as tomato sauce, cheese, and other toppings of your choice.
Carefully transfer the topped pizza onto the preheated pizza stone or baking sheet in the oven. Bake for about 10-12 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the toppings are cooked to your liking.
Notes
When you bake this, make sure to preheat your pizza stone or oven tray, as it makes a huge difference in how the crust bakes, as it’s only in the oven for around 12 minutes. A hot stone/tray means you get a cooked through and crispy crust, a cold one will have it soggy and possibly half raw under the toppings.I used a small bit of grated cheese around the edge after rolling it out, then folded the edges around it, to make a raised and filled crust that puffed up beautifully and gave it the classic Italian look with the added benefit of lovely, melted cheese inside.I tend to make a double portion of this and freeze most of it in portion sized balls, to always have “emergency pizza” on hand, without having to resort to the supermarket stuff. Taking it out of the freezer a few hours before you want to bake it will make for a fast and delicious dinner.Total Estimated Nutrition per crust: Calories: Approximately 390-410 Fat: Approximately 5-7 grams Protein: Approximately 10-12 grams Carbohydrates: Approximately 78-85 grams Fiber: Approximately 5-6 grams Sugar: Approximately 3-5 grams
Nutrition
Calories: 400kcal
Nutrition Facts
No Yeast Sourdough Wholewheat Pizza Crust
Amount per Serving
Calories
400
% Daily Value*
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This Peach Brie Serrano Pizza is currently my favourite “Emergency Pizza”, as the flavours of creamy, milky Brie, salty Serrano ham and juicy sweet peaches work just so well together and taste like a perfect summer dinner with a glass of red wine. Or white. I won’t judge.
The Emergency Pizza concept
And if you followed my No Yeast Sourdough Wholewheat Pizza Crust post, meal prepping this super flavourful pizza crust, you can have this on the table in under 30 minutes. Which might just be faster than waiting for takeout. Did I mention it tastes better too?
See, the thing that often saved me from getting greasy, high calorie pizza from the delivery service was, that I pretty much always had at least one of these crusts in my freezer, for the days where just nothing but pizza will do. That meant I don’t just have a healthier base in form of wholewheat sourdough, but also the fact that you can top it with anything in your fridge. For me that always includes some kind of veggie or fruit, maybe a bit of charcuterie and definitely a nice cheese. All on a few tablespoons of ready-made tomato sauce from a jar.
I did make my own from time to time, but for the sake of emergency pizza, I often gravitate towards some basil or roasted garlic ready made sauce.
Depending on fridge contents I often have artichoke hearts on Serrano, topped with grated Mozzarella. One time I even made it topped with a white sauce from mashed white beans and garlic, which was utterly delicious.
Today’s Toppings
Today I happened to have fresh peaches and Brie in my fridge and I’m so glad I did! The Brie gets all bubbly and slightly crisp on the top, with that perfect caramelized baked cheese flavour. I used “Creamfields” here, which I urge you to try if you come across it, as its incredible creamy, milky flavour goes so well with the peach. Add the serrano ham on top of the other ingredients, so it gets crispy when baking. 12 minutes later, you have Pizza-heaven.
So much better and cheaper than takeout!
The Cheesy Crust
I often fill the crust with a little bit of cheese, which adds flavour and also means, due to the folding over, it raises to a beautiful crust all around. It’s easy too, as you just lay the edges over the cheese and push them down slightly, so it doesn’t leak out. No need to have this look perfect. Handmade and rustic is the look we are goung for here.
Does Pizza fit into a weight loss diet?
Considering one whole pizza crust has only 400cal and depending on the toppings, it can very easily work with a diet. You might not eat the whole one (though…god knows I did occasionally), but the highest calorie factor is the amount of cheese you top it with. If you use one with lots of flavour, like this Brie, you won’t need much to feel really satisfied. In my case, the serrano ham being fairly low fat just adds to its suitability.
So when will you try this? How about a quick summer dinner in the garden?
What are your favourite topping? Let me know in the comments.
This Peach Brie Serrano Pizza is currently my favourite “Emergency Pizza”, as the flavours of creamy, milky Brie, salty Serrano ham and juicy sweet peaches work just so well together and taste like a perfect summer dinner with a glass of red wine. Or white. I won’t judge.
Preheat your oven to 450°F/225°C. Add the oven shelf or pizza stone now, so they can pre-heat. This will give you the perfect crispy crust
Place the no yeast sourdough wholewheat pizza crust on a baking sheet and roll it out thinly into a roughly round shape. Homemade pizza doesn’t have to be perfect.
Sprinkle the grated cheese evenly around the edges, leaving about 2cm to the outside.
Wrap the edges over the cheese carefully, not pressing down on the cheese, so it has a chance to rise high later, but pinching to the inside, so the cheese doesn’t run out while melting.
Spread the ready-made tomato sauce evenly over the pizza crust, leaving a small border around the edges.
Lay the sliced peaches evenly over the tomato sauce. Arrange the thin slices of Brie on top. Please pieces of roughly ripped Serrano ham all over the pizza.
Place the pizza in the preheated oven and bake for about 10-12min until the crust becomes golden brown and the cheese is melted and bubbly.
Remove the pizza from the oven, and let it cool for a minute or two. Cut the pizza into slices
using a pizza cutter or a sharp knife.
Top with some fresh basil leaves. Enjoy.
Notes
You can find the No Yeast Sourdough Crust recipe for this here. Or use any ready made pizza crust from the supermarket. Though the sourdough is really easy to make and means you can have pizza around whenever the mood strikes you, without the huge pizza cartons in your freezer. After all freezer space is precious.Makes 1 round Pizza/ 2 portionsTotal Estimated Nutrition per Portion: Calories: Approximately 520-540 Fat: Approximately 26-28 grams Protein: Approximately 23-25 grams Carbohydrates: Approximately 50-52 grams Fiber: Approximately 6-7 grams Sugar: Approximately 13-14 grams
Nutrition
Calories: 520kcal
Nutrition Facts
Peach Brie Serrano Pizza
Amount per Serving
Calories
520
% Daily Value*
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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