California Pizza Kitchen Chicken Club Pizza

My favorite pizza at California Pizza Kitchen* is the Chicken Club. And the Thai Peanut Chicken. And the Jerk Chicken. And the Pear and Gorgonzola. And the Vegetarian with Japanese Eggplant. But for the purpose of this post, it's the Chicken Club, so here we go.

This is not actually a copy-cat recipe. It is one that I made up because I wanted this pizza but didn't want to go get it (see the footnote). So I'm sure it doesn't taste exactly like it, but it's yummy. So let's all pretend we can't tell the difference, shall we?

Your favorite pizza crust (I like this pizza with whole wheat)

garlic butter

ranch powder

1 chicken breast

2 roma tomatoes

6 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled

mozzerella cheese

1 head romaine lettuce

1/4 c mayo

1/4 c sour cream

2 avocados

Rub chicken breast with oil and ranch seasoning. Bake in 375 degree oven until cooked through. Dice into bite sized pieces.

Roll out pizza crust or pat into pizza pan. Precook dough according to recipe instructions. Remove from oven and slather generously with garlic butter. Top with sliced tomato, diced chicken, and crumbled bacon. Top with slices of mozzerella cheese until the entire pizza is covered. Bake in 350 degree oven for 10 - 12 minutes, or until cheese is golden.

Yes, in this picture I used cherry tomatoes. They are also good on this pizza.

Meanwhile, cut lettuce into strips and mix with mayo, sr cream, and salt and pepper to taste.

Place on top of cooked pizza. Top the entire concoction with fresh avocado slices. Season with kosher salt and cracked black pepper. Done and done.

*It should be noted that I absolutely HATE, with a capitol H-A-T-E, California Pizza Kitchen. I have stepped foot into one of their establishments once in my life and I will never ever go back. It was so pretentious. And I hate that. And I also hate that frequenters of the restaurant refer to it as CPK. I don't know why, but that just really really bugs me. Like all you need is a blue tooth and some CPK to be the world's biggest D-Bag. But, I love their pizza. Sue me.

CPK Thai Chicken Pizza

California Pizza Kitchen
Thai Chicken Pizza


Crust
1/3 cup plus 1 Tbs. warm water
3/4 tsp. yeast
1 tsp. sugar
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 Tbs. olive oil

In a small bowl dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let it sit for 5 minutes until the surface of the mixture turns foamy. Sift the flour and salt together into a medium bowl. Made a depression in the flour and pour in the olive oil and yeast mixture. Use a fork to stir the liquid, gradually drawing in more flour as you stir, until all the ingredients are combined. When you can no longer stir with a fork, use your hands to form the dough into a ball. Knead dough until smooth (about 10 minutes). Form the dough into a ball, coat it with oil, and place in clean bowl covered with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise for about 2 hours. Punch dough down, recover it, and place it in the fridge overnight. Take the dough out of the fridge 1 to 2 hours before building the pizza to allow it to warm to room temperature.

Peanut Sauce
1/4 cup cream peanut butter
2 Tbs. teriyaki sauce
2 Tbs. hoisin
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 Tbs. sugar
1 Tbs. brown sugar
2 Tbs. water
2 tsp. sesame oil
1 tsp. soy sauce
1 1/2 tsp. minced onion
1 tsp. minced gingerroot

Blend ingredients in a food processor for about 15 seconds. Pour into a small pan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Cook for 1 minute.

Toppings
1 chicken breast
1 1/2 tsp. olive oil
1 1/4 cups grated mozzarella
1 to 2 green onions
1/2 cup bean sprouts
1/4 cup julienned carrot
2 tsp. minced cilantro
1 Tbs. chopped peanuts

Slice chicken into bit-size chunks. Pour 1/3 of peanut sauce over chicken. Marinate for at least 2 hours. Heat 1 tsp. oil in small pan over medium/high heat. Cook marinated chicken for 3 to 4 minutes.

Preheat oven to 475*F. Roll out pizza crust and place on pizza pan. Spread remaining pizza sauce over crust. Sprinkle 1 cup mozzarella over sauce. Julienne green onions into 2-inch match stick strips. Spread onions over cheese. Arrange chicken on the pizza, then sprouts and carrots. Sprinkle remaining mozzarella on the center of the pizza and top with cilantro and nuts. Bake 10 to 12 minutes.

Compliments of A Treasury of Top Secret Recipes.