Food and Wine came out with this
amazing recipe,
Focaccia with Caramelized Onions, Pear and Blue Cheese. Its pretty much became a staple appetizer in our house. With this odd combination, most would be turned off by, but I promise it's perfection and I have my roommate, boyfriend, and his roommates begging me to make it time and time again.
1 cup warm water
1 package active dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon honey
2 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon light brown sugar
1 large bosc pear, cored and sliced
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
In a large bowl, combine the water, yeast and honey and let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in 1 cup of four and 1/4 cup of the oil; let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining flour and the salt and knead until smooth. Transfer into an oiled bowl, cover with plastic and let stand for 1 hour.
Meanwhile, in a skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil. Add the onion, cover and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Add the sugar, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, 10 minutes.
Preheat the over to 450 degrees. Oil a 9-13 inch rimmed baking sheet. Transfer the dough to the sheet and press it down to fit. Dimple the dough all over with your fingers and drizzle 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Let the dough rise until puffed, about 20 minutes.
Scatter the onions over the dough. Arrange the pear over the onions and sprinkle with blue cheese. Drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil over the focaccia and bake 20 minutes, until golden.
What's so great about this recipe is that the pears, blue cheese, and onions can be substituted for almost anything. We've made chicken and blue cheese, and have topped it with roasted pears and gorgonzola. So let it be some inspiration and go wild!
