A Parisian Twist: Il Francese French-Style Pizza for the Olympics

The Paris Olympics is off to roaring start.  If you are like me, I have been glued to your TV since Friday evening watching the opening ceremony. You don't want to stray too far from your sofa a miss the excitement. Il Francese French Style Pizza is a tasty bite to get you through the 329 events, spread across 39 sports. This recipe comes courtesy of Chef Laurent Tourondel.

Today's recipe includes Comté cheese. Comté is a semi-hard cheese, pale yellow in color, with a texture that ranges from open, supple, and grainy for younger cheeses to dense, firm, and crystalline for more aged cheeses. When aged, its flavor is nutty, smoky, fruity and sweet, while the younger cheeses are more milky and fresh tasting according to Spruce Eats.

The French are serious about Comté. They regulate what type of cows can be used to produce the milk for this cheese.  The milk used for making Comté comes from the breeds of two specific cows: Montbéliardes and French Simmental, which are raised in the Jura Massif region. By law, each cow must have at least 2.5 acres (1 hectare) of pasture to graze on. Talk about COW rights! (I wonder who is their lobbyist).

You can substitute Fontina cheese if you are unable to locate Comté.

Share your feedback with us. Email us at hello@thewineconcierge.co. Don't forget to tag us on Facebook or Instagram @‌thewineconciergeclub with your pictures.

If you missed any of our recipes, you can view previous recipes in our blog. Visit Enjoy!

Il Francese French-Style Pizza

Ingredients

• 8.5 oz Pizza dough (store bought)

• 3 oz Pizza Sauce

• 1 oz Gruyère

• 1 oz Comté or Fontina

• 3 oz Prosciutto

• 2-3 pieces of Shaved Cremini Mushrooms

• Fresh Oregano and Chili Oil (to finish)

Steps

1. Stretch the pizza dough to a 10 inch round.

2. Top with pizza sauce.

3. Arrange the cheese over the pizza dough and bake at 450 degrees Fahrenheit until midway cooked through, about 6 or 7 minutes.

4. Remove the pizza, and add the prosciutto and mushrooms. Cook until the dough is crispy, another 6 to 8 minutes.

5. Finish with parmesan, olive oil, fresh oregano, and chili oil.

Please share your comments and pictures with us. Tag us on Facebook or Instagram @‌thewineconciergeclub  #Frenchstylepizza

Wine Recommendations

2020 Domaine JB Cavalier Rouge

$18.50

Mary Taylor 2018 Jean Marc Barthez Bordeaux Rouge

$18.00

2017 Dom Martin Plan de Dieu Côtes du Rhône Villages Red

$19.50

2023 Mary Taylor 'Christophe Avi' Rosé Agenais IGP, Southwest France