Ingredients
- 1 pre-made pizza crust medium size, pre-baked / par-baked
- 1 chicken breast approx. 250g, cut into small cubes
- ½ cup heavy cream to be reduced by half — becomes the 'sauce'
- ¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves very finely minced
- ½ cup Parmesan freshly grated
- ½ cup mozzarella shredded
- Dried oregano dried thyme, red pepper flakes
- Fresh basil to finish post-bake — never bake fresh basil
Instructions
- Reduce the cream sauce. In a small saucepan, combine cream, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, and dried spices. Bring to a low boil and cook 3–4 minutes until reduced by half and thickened to a spreadable consistency. Remove from heat, stir in Parmesan. Allow to cool slightly.
- Sear the chicken cubes. In a separate pan, sear chicken cubes in a little sun-dried tomato oil over medium-high until golden on the outside. They don't need to be fully cooked through — they'll finish in the oven. The golden color is essential for visual impact.
- Assemble in order. Place crust on a perforated baking pan or rack. Spread the cream reduction evenly across the surface, leaving a clean 1-inch border. Scatter both cheeses over the sauce. Distribute the seared chicken cubes and sun-dried tomatoes on top of the cheeses.
- Bake at maximum heat. 425–480°F (220–250°C) for 8–10 minutes. You're looking for a golden, crispy crust border and bubbling, spotty-golden cheese. Add fresh basil leaves after removing from the oven, never before.
Nutrition
Notes
Pro Tips
- Reduce the cream more than you think you need to: When in doubt, give it another minute on the heat. If it's too thin when you spread it, you'll have a soggy center. If it's slightly too thick, you can thin it with a tablespoon of cream. Under-reduced is the harder problem to solve.
- Low-moisture mozzarella only: Fresh mozzarella (the kind in water) has too much moisture and turns rubbery rather than pulling and bubbling. Block mozzarella, shredded yourself, is the only version that gives you the result you want on this pizza.
- Let the chicken cubes be slightly underdone going in: They'll finish in the oven. Overcooked chicken cubes going in come out dry and chewy. Pull them from the skillet when they're golden outside and just barely opaque in the center.
- Perforated pan or wire rack under the crust: Direct contact with a solid sheet pan traps steam under the crust and makes the base soft and bread-like. A perforated pan or rack allows heat to circulate from below. The difference in crust crispness at the same oven temperature is significant.