Sausage and onions make a dynamite combination that we all know well. But here, instead of onions, I use the sweeter leek as the foil for spicy sausage meat, and place it over a soft preparation of béchamei and cheeses.
The invention is based on a familiar version of lasagna. In essence, I’ve taken one of the world’s great comfort foods as my starting point but turned to good bread as the carrier of the flavors.
This pizza cooks longer than many of the others because the ingredients are heavier and require more time. It’s still fast, once you’re ready to go. – Jim Lahey

Ingredients

• 65 grams (1 small) leek
• 24 grams (1 tablespoon) sea salt
• 1 ball of Pizza Dough, shaped and waiting on a floured peel (page 26)
• 45 grams (3 tablespoons) Béchamel (page 66)
• 15 grams (¼ cup) finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Grana Padano cheese
• 40 grams (about 1 ½ ounces) fresh mozzarella, pulled into 5 clumps
• 65 grams (scant ⅓ cup) Pork Sausage (page 124)
• 7 to 8 grams (1 heaping tablespoon) fresh bread crumbs
• Pinch of chili flakes

Instructions

1. Put the pizza stone in a gas oven on a rack about 8 inches from the broiler. Preheat the oven on bake at 500°F for 30 minutes. Switch to broil for 10 minutes.
   (For an electric variation, see page 18.)
2. Remove the leek’s tough outer leaves. Slice away the root end carefully so the rest of the leek remains intact. Cut away most of the deep green top of the leek, leaving an inch or two of pale green above the white part. Cut the leek almost in half lengthwise, being careful not to slice through the base, so the leek keeps its shape. Wash the individual leaves under running water until they are free of dirt and grit.
3. Choose a saucepan just large enough to hold the leek. Nearly fill the pan with water, add the salt, and bring to a boil. Place the leek in the pan, lower the heat, and simmer until tender, about 5 minutes. Remove the leek and set aside to cool to room temperature.
4. With the dough on the peel, spoon the béchamel over the surface and spread it evenly, leaving about an inch of the rim untouched. Sprinkle the surface with the Parmigiano. Distribute the clumps of mozzarella. Separate the leaves from the leek and distribute them over the pie. Space 5 or 6 clumps of sausage meat, about a tablespoon each, over the pie. Sprinkle evenly with the bread crumbs and chili flakes.

Notes

1. Instead of the Béchamel sauce we used around 40 grams of goat cheese.
2. We also changed the recipe where we sautéd the leeks in the oil from the spicy sausage with some additional olive oil until they were translucent but not fully cooked.
3. Source: My Pizza by Jim Lahey, page 72.

Leek and Sausage Pie

Leek and Sausage Pie