Three weeks ago, the end of paw-paw season neared and the last fat and ripe paw-paws clung on for dear life to each jungle-leaved tree. At this time of year, they are hard to spot because of lush foliage and shadows so gathering can be a real squint-fest.
This is why my son and I, with some friends, headed for the deep woods and did what everyone around these parts tells you not to do.
“When Paw Paw Hunting, Never Shake The Tree.”
Well, since we ignored this sage advice and shook every tree to be found, my kids came up with another life-lesson; If you do shake a paw paw tree, “NEVER LOOK UP WHILE SHAKING A PAW PAW TREE.”
While we were out in the wilds of Athens County, Ohio, I picked up some Harmony Hollow pork belly and had it marinating in Kimchi no moto, or concetrated kimchi sauce. Then I selected some smooth double-cream brie, bitter raddichio di Treviso and flat-leaf parsley, crunchy pistachios and some roasted ancho chili’s. Best of all, I met up with Neal Dix of Shade Winery and he just handed me a cluster of beautiful chardonnay grapes he just harvested. (Thanks Neal!)
Recipe: One seven ounce dough ball from the Easy Dough Recipe on this blog.
One eight to twelve ounce piece of pork belly.
Three tablespoons of sugar.
One tablespoon salt.
Five turns of a pepper mill
Three tablespoons of kimchi no moto (or kimchi powder.)
One tablespoon Tamari soy sauce.
One tablespoon red miso.
Place salt, sugar and cracked pepper into a bowl, add the kimchi no moto.
Add the soy sauce, miso and pork belly and marinate in the refrigerator for 12 hours. Saute in a medium hot pan until the outside is carmelized, (about 12 minutes.)
For the other toppings:
Three ripe paw paws
One clump of grapes, (preferably local and organic.)
Eight ounces of double cream imported brie.
Seven to eight leaves of raddichio di Traviso sauteed with a tablespoon of olive oil for four mintes on high heat.
One medium ancho chili, roasted on a hot grill until charred, cooled then peeled and sliced into strips.
One half handful of pistacios smashed with the flat of a knife.
Half a handful of Italian flat-leaf parsley.
Take the grapes and smash in your had to render juice into the bowl. Disgard pulp and stems.
Strain the grape juice and reduce by half in a saute pan.
Pull the paw paw apart and gently take the pulp out of the paw paw. This will be messy, (get over it…har har) alot of pulp affixes to the seeds so you will have to squeeze and rub the seeds to get said pulp off. Add reduced grape juce to the paw paw.
Slice the pork belly on the bias into eighth of an inch batons. Slice the raddiccio into inch long pieces. Smash pistachios with the flat of a knife.
Form a disc of the dough and slice the brie and place on the dough. Add the raddichio then the roasted ancho strips.
Put the kimchi marinated pork on top and bake in the oven for 12 to 15 minutes.
Place the paw paw and grape jam on top of the pizza in spokes and garnish with parsley. Heaven awaits!
