From fridge to fantastic: turning your random leftover weirdness into pizza perfect…

Today we have a kind of refrigerator pizza. That’s what happens when you have a fridge full of stuff that’s crying, “Use me!” and in that mix of stuff there happens to be pizza dough.
 
For The Fabulous Honey Parker and I, this pizza was inspired by a simple combo we learned to love in Los Angeles.
 
We were in our local dive bar. It happened that we could see the cook at the end of the bar, eating a pizza that wasn’t on the menu: pepperoni and jalapeño.
 
We asked the bartender if the guy would make that pizza for us, and she said, “Sure!”

​Thus began a long affair with fresh chilis on pizza.
 
This pizza, however, raises the bar—mainly because it uses what happened to be in my fridge that day. Since that lucky accident, I know I'll be doing this pizza over and over again.

ABOVE: The extreme closeup of the extreme-ish pizza that emerged from my oven, covered strategically with the tactical detritus from my refrigerator.


Also, a warning: I’m not codifying this recipe in the way you might normally expect.
 
Instead, I’m writing it more in the style of old-fashioned cookbooks, which typically laid out a mere paragraph of instructions.
 
There will also be a list of ingredients, but you get to decide amounts and quantities for yourself.
 
That’s because I’m not telling you that you need to make an 8-inch Lazy Way pizza, which is how I made it.

This recipe is infinitely adaptable to whatever style or size you want. You just have to be smart, use a little common sense, and have fun. And let’s face it: If that doesn’t describe you, you would never have read this far to begin with.
 
 
Here now, the ingredients for the pizza we’re calling Pepper On Pepperoni Action.
  
This pizza was a total improv. I went to the fridge with the idea that I had a doughball about to pass its prime. What could I do with it?
 
The fridge also happened to be stocked with ingredients from various experiments for pizza R&D sessions.
 
We ended up with:
 
Cotija
Pepperoni (stick)
Serrano chilis (fresh)
Mozzarella (leftover cubes)
Pickled jalapeños
Crema
Lemon zest
 

How this pizza works…
 
Pan or stretch the dough as you would normally.
 
Sauce the pizza. This is an 8-inch Lazy Way no-knead pizza, which calls for a hefty ratio of sauce—in this case, 150 grams. (About half a cup.)
 
Beyond that, there are very few rules on this pizza improv.
 
After saucing, we used what was left of the cubed mozzarella—about 100 grams of half-inch cubes, which is less than half of what we usually put on this size Lazy Way pizza. (That could be plenty of cheese for a more traditional-style pie, if that’s what you’re making.)
 
There were about 40 grams of shredded cotija. If you’re not familiar, it’s a hard aged Mexican cheese similar to parmesan, though softer and with not quite as much bite.
 
I sliced up one fresh serrano, and cut the chunk of stick pepperoni into thick-ish slices, which I then quartered. These small, thick pepperoni bits are a good choice for this pizza, as the crust is robust. And a robust crust allows for robust toppings.
 
Part of the game here is that this crust is somewhat thicker than a traditional, hand-stretched, thin-crust, on-the-steel pizza. It can handle bulk. It’s one of the reasons this pizza is surprisingly filling. (Another reason is abundant olive oil. Fat is a trigger that tells your brain that you’ve eaten enough. In our house, at least, this pizza not only delivers, but satisfies in short order. My wife and I sometimes make a meal out of a shared 8-inch pizza.)

ABOVE: The raw pizza described in the text

 
That’s it for the toppings to be baked.
 
I launched this pizza, did the standard Lazy Way bottom-rack bake for about 16 minutes with a 180-degree turn halfway through.
 
Then, once out of the oven, I garnished the pizza with chopped pickled jalapeños, crema, and lemon zest.

ABOVE: The baked pizza prior to garnish

​ 
The reason for the zest is a) the lemon was crying for attention, and b) I’ve been experimenting with zest as a pizza garnish and the results can be surprising. Here, the zest adds a slight citrus note to a pizza that could be dominated by the serrano and jalapeño. The zest gets in there and peeks through the heat to give your bite a little jazz hands.
 
The crema just brings a touch of creaminess to the proceedings, giving another layer to the mozzarella/cotija combination.
 
 
As I said at the top, I’m not codifying this recipe in the way you might normally expect.
 
What you read above are essentially your instructions (though I summarize them below). This is more in the style of old-fashioned cookbooks, which typically laid out a single, solid (and often dense) paragraph of directions.
 
I’m not telling you that you need to make an 8-inch Lazy Way pizza. I’m saying to use whatever dough size dough you wish in whatever format you prefer, use your best judgment and have fun.
 
If you’re making a thick-crust pan pizza like a Detroit or Sicilian, go nuts. Add even more.
 
If you’re making a thin-crust NeoNeapolitan pizza like I typically make, be judicious. Don’t overdo the toppings.
 
If you’re making a 90-second, high-heat Neapolitan-style pizza, you already know the truth of the dictum of “Less is more.”
 
Be smart. Use your judgement. Err on the side of caution if you wish. Just have fun.

​Pepper On Pepperoni Action Pizza - Details

Pizza sauce
Cotija or other hard, aged cheese (parmesan, Romano, etc)
Pepperoni, thick sliced or whole stick, cut into quarter-rounds
Fresh serrano chili(s)
Low-moisture, whole milk mozzarella, cut into quarter-inch cubes (or else shredded)
Pickled jalapeños, chopped 
Crema, for drizzling around the baked pizza
Lemon zest, for garnish
 
Stretch your dough, whether in a pan or on a peel. Spread enough sauce for the style of pizza. (Less for thin-crust, more for thicker crust.) Sprinkle the Cotija, followed by the mozzarella cubes. Place the chili slices and pepperoni strategically. Bake the pizza until the crust begins to brown (or char appropriately). Remove from oven. Allow to set. Sprinkle the chopped jalapeños, drizzle the crema, and sprinkle the lemon zest. Cut and serve.
 
If you want, let me know how it goes.
 
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The five-star rated The Lazy Way to Pizza e-book edition is now on sale at Amazon. As it says in the book description there:

The only special tool: A pan. The only special ingredient: Patience. (Just a pinch.) The only oven: the one already in your kitchen.
 

ABOVE: The book and the genuine Lloyd Pans that were onsite during a recent Utah pizza night...


​Your friends and family won't believe you made this pizza yourself--especially after that incident with the burnt water topped with boiled toast. This is for real: one of the best tasting pizzas you've ever put into your mouth. The cheese, the tomato, the olive oil, the crunch--it's so good, you might never order delivery pizza again. You might even call this pizza "artisanal."

"This pizza made as instructed is one of the best pizzas l've had...an artisan-level experience while remaining one of the easiest pizzas to execute."
--Kevin Godbee, Chef and creator of Pizza Is My Life
(from the foreword to the book)

For more info, click here.