Thursday, May 31, 2012

Caramelized Onion, Fontina, and Prosciutto Flatbread

Perfect Pairing: Great music
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I struggled with the name of this recipe.  There is so much I want you to know about it!  In addition to the caramelized onion, fontina, and prosciutto there are chopped dates and a salad of fresh greens.  I could not figure out how to make all of those things fit in the title. 
I made this for a recent get together with my girlfriends.  We all loved it.  I look forward to those nights so much.  We always have so much to catch up on with each other’s lives.  There is never enough time to cover all of the topics.  I talked about our planning process in this post.  We always have a delicious spread, this night was no different.  We all end up hanging around my island and munching on the dishes.  By the end of the night it is a bit of a mess but you can tell we enjoyed ourselves!
I absolutely loved this flatbread.  It had the perfect combination of sweet and salty.  The salad on top adds a brightness that pairs nicely with the rich cheese and prosciutto.  I will definitely be making this again.
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The Perfect Pairing for this flatbread is great music.  Great music is a must at any party, in my opinion.  My absolute favorite group right now is Mumford and Sons.  I think they are pretty well known, but I feel like I need to promote them to those folks who don’t know them yet.  I dare you to listen to them and not tap your toe.  When I hear Mumford and Sons I feel like I am in a pub in the Temple Bar district of Dublin.  Some of my favorite songs are listed below with YouTube links if you are interested in listening to them before committing to an iTunes purchase.
If you like Mumford and Sons you would probably also like the City and Colour album, Bring Me Your Love.  I ran across this group on Pandora and found myself “liking” their songs over and over.  They have a great laid back sound that is perfect for background party music.  Admittedly, their lyrics are pretty depressing so I suggest just focusing on the melody.  That is why it is perfect for background music!
One final favorite is Galway Girl by Mundy and Sharon Shannon.  This song was wildly popular when I was in Dublin a few years ago.  Just listening to it makes me want to go back to Ireland.  I was in Dublin for work and extended a few days to experience Dublin and the Cliffs of Moher.  I was ridiculously lucky with the weather at the cliffs (so I am told).  Check out that view.

Loved this guy on the streets of Dublin.


Mumford and Sons
Who am I kidding??  The entire album is fantastic.

City and Colour

Caramelized Onion, Fontina, and Prosciutto Flatbread
Lindsay at Perfecting the Pairing

Ingredients:
·         1 Tb butter
·         2 onions, sliced
·         1 Tb sugar
·         3 naan flatbreads or one pre-made pizza crust
·         6 oz fontina cheese, shredded
·         ¼ lb prosciutto
·         3 Tb chopped dates
·         1 ½ tsp Dijon mustard
·         2 Tb fresh lemon juice
·         3 Tb olive oil
·         2 tsp honey
·         Salt and pepper, to taste
·         6 cups mixed greens or arugula
Directions:
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the sliced onions and sugar, stir to combine.  Allow the onions to caramelize, stirring occasionally, until they are a deep golden brown.  Approximately 40 minutes.  Set aside.  These can be made ahead of time and refrigerated until ready to use.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  Spray both sides of the naan flatbread with cooking spray and place on a cookie sheet.  Crisp the naan in the oven for 5-7 minutes, or until it starts to brown.
Top the crisped naan with the caramelized onions, shredded fontina cheese, prosciutto, and chopped dates.  Return the flatbread to the oven and bake for 7-10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the prosciutto is crispy.
While the flatbread is toasting combine the mustard, lemon juice, olive oil, honey, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.  Stir with a whisk or a fork to combine.  Toss the mixed greens in the dressing.  Top each flatbread with a generous amount of the dressed greens.  Slice and serve.

12 comments:

  1. Love the music pairing!!! M&S has been great and love that they are now getting their dues!
    Do you like Avett Bros? They are the musical sibling to Mumford & Sons.
    I and Love and You
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrsgIEBwIZM
    Ten Thousand Words*
    Head full of doubt

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    Replies
    1. SA - Thanks for the comment! I can tell you have fantastic taste in music. It is funny because I really like 'I and Love and You' but did not know the name of it. It is one of those songs that I heard on Pandora and loved, but never caught the name or artist. I also really like 'Head full of Doubt', but did not know about 'Ten Thousand Words'. I am going to Mumford & Sons in August, pretty excited. Keep the recommendations coming!

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    2. Are you seeing them at the Chicago Theatre?! LUCKY!

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    3. Actually I will see them in Dixon, IL at the Gentleman of the Road Tour: http://gentlemenoftheroad.com/dixon/. It looks like a fun time, more of a festival atmosphere. I don't know any of the other bands, I should look into that. I'm excited!

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  2. That sounds fun! Considering Illinois is hauntingly empty outside Chicago, Dixon is right on the river and looks like you will have a great time!
    I get nervous suggesting music or listening to suggestions- maybe because you never know your mood from one moment to the next. Do you think music matches with the season? (Who likes reggae anytime but summer?)
    Van Morrison/summer; Arcade Fire/winter. So I'll stick in season for now ;)
    Sooo, I'm sorry for the long post! But as you can see below, I'm old and shamefully in love with the past.

    My Morning Jacket - One in the Same*, Golden, Gideon, Dancefloors, Mahgeeta*,
    Nick Drake - Pink Moon*, Which Will, From the Morning
    Jack White - Blunderbuss
    Van Morrison* - Astral Weeks, Sweet Thing

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    Replies
    1. Ok, I would not say that Illinois is "hauntingly empty" outside of Chicago! My favorite place in the world is in western Illinois. The more years I spend in Chicago the more I appreciate the open spaces, clean air, wildlife, etc. I love Chicago dearly, but there is something to be said about the country.

      Also, I happen to love reggae music any time of the year! I am weird like that.

      I will check out your recommendations! By the way, what do the (*) stand for in your post?

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    2. * = the goosebumps I get, lol!

      Did I hit a nerve?! Just teasing, I love to poke fun at country folk when I'm in the city, but when I'm getting my rural on I love to poke fun at urban dwellers.
      I just read your corn, avacado and bacon, etc salad! Wow. I hope I'm not too lazy and make that soon! I think I may throw cheese in it though because I love cheese.

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    3. Ha! Nerves are intact! I guess the country girl in me got defensive. Are you in Chicago or do you urban dwell in another fabulous city?

      Let me know what you think of the summer corn salad. So good!

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    4. I'll post on Corn Salad to spread out some comments and love on here.

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  3. I am a city dweller, in Chicago.
    I like to do things that I can't do in the city - campfires, xmas lights in summer, chop wood, wear jeans with holes in them in a not-hip way, bath in lakes, etc.

    Would like to find a bar that has a wood chopping contest as opposed to 'bags' or 'beer pong'. These things should be about real life application, right?

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    Replies
    1. A fellow Chicagoan! Which neighborhood do you call home?

      I don't think I would excel at woodchopping but I am a killer at flip-cup. Does that have any real life applications?

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  4. For my admiration to remain secret a while more,
    I can't share certain things, but I may say if you implore-
    the blue waters, I can almost see from my backdoor.

    Chopping wood is a delicate but manly task,
    and while I'm certain you're a killer flipper,
    an ax in your hand, I'd be scared to ask.

    Silly posts and childish rhymes I do enjoy,
    I sincerely hope you do as well,
    because I have little else to offer you
    and am now eating a yummy oyster shell.

    ......sorry, that's the best I could come up with.

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