On Second Thought...

After about two days of caring for my newly acquired hens indoors, I realized that keeping chickens inside wasn't the brightest idea I've ever had. Although very cute and sweet, they sure do create quite a mess—and quite an odor. I was constantly cleaning up after them just to keep the smell at a tolerable level. Thankfully, my very handy husband Jay knows how to build a chicken coop rather quickly. So now my girls are now living in a darling little pen outside, just where they belong. Here's another recipe that utilizes Gracie's superb egg-laying skills:

Sunday Morning Breakfast Pizza

This tasty concoction is special enough for Sunday morning, but also makes a satisfying dinner. You'll be amazed at how wonderfully the flavor of the homemade breakfast sausage meshes with the gruyere cheese and white sauce. It's really delicious!

1. In a large bowl, use your hands to mix 1/2 pound fatty ground pork (I ask my butcher to grind me up some pork shoulder), 1/2 teaspoon dried sage (crumbled), 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon allspice, and a good pinch of freshly grated nutmeg. In a medium skillet, cook the sausage over medium-high heat until browned, breaking it up into small bits as necessary. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.

2. If you have one, place a bread or pizza stone in the oven. Preheat oven to 450 F. On a large piece of parchment paper, roll out enough pizza or bread dough (for a good bread dough recipe, see Step 1 from my post on December 3rd—the Open-Faced Parmesan Bolognese Bread) to make a 12- to 15-inch circle that is about 1/8- to 1/4-inch thick. (I prefer to make the circle quite irregular because it gives the pizza more character.) Rub the whole thing with olive oil and prick it with a fork a few times to avoid big air bubbles in the center of the pizza. Use the parchment paper to transfer the dough to the oven. (If you don't have a bread or pizza stone, place the parchment onto a large baking sheet before putting it in the oven.) Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until it's just beginning to turn golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool a bit.

3. Meanwhile, make the white sauce: In a small saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons butter. Add 2 tablespoons flour and cook and stir over medium heat until the flour begins to smell nutty, about 2 minutes. Add 1 1/4 cups milk, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and a pinch of garlic powder. Whisk until smooth. Continue to cook and stir over medium heat until thick and bubbly. Add a bit of freshly grated nutmeg and remove from heat. 

4. Scramble 2 or 3 eggs in the same skillet in which you browned the sausage. To assemble the pizza, spread the white sauce over the crust. Top with the scrambled egg, the sausage, and then about 2 or 3 ounces of shredded or thinly sliced gruyere cheese. Return to the oven and bake for about 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and a bit bubbly in a few places. Let cool 3 minutes before cutting and serving.