Leek-And-Pecorino Pizzas

I gave my husband a list of possible dinners for tonight and he chose this one.  I, for one was totally happy he did!  I couldn't find truffled pecorino cheese.  My local wine and cheese shop, The Ormond Wine Co. had one at one time, but they said they had been having trouble getting it in so, I did the next best thing.  I used truffle oil in place of the olive oil that got brushed on the dough as the "sauce" layer.  We only had one issue, and it was my fault.  It said season with salt and pepper, and I was thinking that as the leeks and lamb would be the only place with seasoning, I should season liberally.  I forgot to take into account that the pecorino is very salty, so the end product was a bit salty.  Even with the over seasoning, it was really great. I cooked the pizza a bit longer and only made one pizza rather than the small ones.  I also only used a pound of pizza dough, so I had some leftover toppings.  The toppings come off easily, so a little care is needed to eat with out a meat and tomato shower on your plate, but still totally worth it.  4 stars!



Leek-And-Pecorino Pizzas
 
All-purpose flour for dusting
1 1/2 Lb pizza dough
cut into 8 pieces
1/4 Cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
2 large leeks sliced 1/4 inch thick
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 Lb ground lamb
32 cherry tomatoes halved
1/4 Lb truffled pecorino cheese thinly sliced
1. Preheat the oven to 500. Heat a pizza stone on the bottom of the oven
for 45 minutes. (Alternatively, heat a large inverted baking sheet on
the bottom rack of the oven for 5 minutes.)
2. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out each piece of dough to a
7-inch round. Oil 3 large baking sheets and place the dough rounds on
the sheets. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil. Add the
leeks, season with salt and pepper and cook over moderate heat until
softened, about 8 minutes; transfer to a plate. Add the 2 tablespoons of
olive oil to the skillet. Add the lamb, season with salt and pepper and
cook until no pink remains, about 5 minutes.
4. Generously flour a pizza peel. Place a dough round on the peel and
brush with olive oil. Top with some of the leeks, lamb, tomatoes and
pecorino cheese. Slide the dough round onto the hot stone or baking
sheet and bake for about 4 minutes, until bubbling and crisp. Repeat
with the remaining ingredients and serve.