Thai Chicken Pizza

I absolutely love the Thai Chicken Pizza at the California Pizza Kitchen restaurant. There have been reinventions of the original, and this is my amalgamation of Thai flavors, barbeque sauce and fresh herbs and spices. Combined with my Mother's amazingly light and flaky pizza crust, this was most definitely one of the best pizzas that I have ever made. Served with a fresh tossed salad, this is perfect for an effortless summer dinner party and, despite the number of ingredients, easy to prepare hours ahead and pop in the oven when your guests are enjoying hors d'oeuvres. I baked my pizza on a pizza stone at  approximately 425 degrees in the oven for  give and take 16 to 18 minutes. If you have a grill lit for the summer, that would most definitely add so much flavor, similarly use a pizza stone and keep an eye on the crust not to burn.

Bon Appetit!

INGREDIENTS
Basic:
12 ounces of chicken breast, skinned, poached to tender and shredded. Salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
1 cup shredded White English Cheddar Cheese (or any sharp white cheddar)
1/2 cup shredded carrots
3 scallion stalks, 1/4" chopped
1/2 bunch of cilantro leaves, chopped
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
Balsamic Vinegar
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Preferred Barbeque Sauce, amount to taste (my favorite is Jack Daniel's No. 7)
Thai Peanut Sauce (see recipe)
Basic Thin Crust (see recipe)

Thai Peanut Sauce:
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 cup natural peanut butter
1/4 cup Hoisin Sauce
1/4 teaspoon brown sugar
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup coconut milk

Pizza Dough:
1 package dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour (8 ounces)
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon oil
Vegetable oil and cornmeal to lightly grease and graze the surface of the pizza stone to avoid the crust from sticking

PREPARATION
Thai Peanut Sauce:
Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium heat and quickly add the garlic and saute for less than one minute. Whisk in the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer and cook an additional 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Pizza Dough:
Stir the yeast and sugar into the warm water and let stand 10 minutes. With the metal blade in place, put the flours and salt into a food processor bowl. With the machine running, pour the yeast mixture through the feed tube and continue to process for an additional 45 seconds, or until the dough pulls away from the side of the bowl. Add the oil through the feed tube and process for an additional 60 seconds. If the dough sticks to the side of the bowl add more flour, 1 Tablespoon at a time. The dough may be used immediately, but best if chilled in the refrigerator for approximately an hour.

Roll out the pizza dough to desired shape, pinching the edges so that the sauce does not drip off while baking. Spread the Barbecue Sauce on the Pizza Dough, as one would with pizza sauce. Lightly toss the shredded chicken with the Thai Peanut Sauce and spread over the Barbecue Sauce. Top the chicken with the White English Cheddar Cheese, shredded carrots and red onions.

Bake the pizza on a lightly greased pizza stone for approximately 16-20 minutes, depending on the heat of the oven. Top with the diced scallions, chopped cilantro and dried red pepper flakes (if desired).