reverse puff pastry pizza
We love homemade pizza. Who doesn’t? And many have their favourite ways to prepare one but none, in my humble opinion, are as ingenious as a reverse puff pastry pizza! This is a Jamie Oliver creation. I recall the first time watching The Naked Chef when it first aired back in 1999. We were living in Singapore and to get anything remotely good on tv was a tall ask. The government was quite strict on what was allowed to be aired. With a title like The Naked Chef, I was surprised it received the green light but very happy it did. He was a breath of fresh culinary air and albeit a bit quirky but so easy to watch/learn. Fast forward and many Jamie Oliver cookbooks later, this recipe is a gem. It may seem like a dish more suited for the experienced cook, but I am here to let you know this is not the case.
you will need
puff pastry sheet
1 red onion, cut into chunks and separated
1 bell pepper (your choice of colour) roughly chopped
1 zucchini cut into thin slices
a handful of asparagus, roughly chopped
a handful of cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 to 2 teaspoons of dried oregano
fresh basil leaves, roughly torn
aged balsamic vinegar
method
Preheat oven to 350f (180c). Grab a baking dish the size of the puff pastry sheet. Add the veggies and toss with a splash of olive oil—season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add the oregano and gently toss the veggies. Bake for 15 minutes. 
When the time is up, remove from the oven and place the puff pastry on top. Tuck it under and put it back in the oven. Bake for a further 30 minutes or until the pastry is golden and crispy. Remove from the oven and use a knife to loosen the edges. Grab a cutting board and place it on top of the baking dish. Carefully flip it over. And voilà! The pizza comes out lickety-split. Add basil leaves and drizzle with aged balsamic vinegar.
the culinary chase’s note:
I have to admit, I was skeptical that the pizza would come out in one piece once I inverted it. How could I have ever doubted Jamie? 🙂 Enjoy!