Surimi is a seafood 'composite', made with fish (often pollock), egg white, and vegetable starches. It is flavored and formed to resemble crab, lobster, shrimp, etc. While it's not a substitute for the real thing, it's economical and has a pleasant seafood flavor. Buy the best quality you can find; it makes a real difference in the result.
(View the Full Size Photo of Rustic Pesto Pizza with Crab Surimi, Fresh Mozzarella, and Tomatoes)
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 lb whole wheat pizza dough (see Cook's Notes)
- 1/2 cup prepared pesto sauce (see Cook's Notes)
- 8 oz fresh mozzarella, cut into 16 rough slices
- 2-3 Roma (plum) tomatoes, sliced (16 slices total)
- Coarse salt
- 8 oz chunk-style crab flavored surimi (see Cook's Notes)
- Coarse ground black pepper
- Extra virgin olive oil (full-flavored, not light)
Preparation:
On a lightly floured surface, divide the dough into 4 pieces and stretch them out into rough circles (about 8-9 inches across.) Place the dough on non-stick baking sheets or a perforated pizza pan.
Spread each with about 2 tablespoons of the pesto and top with 4 slices of cheese and 4 slices of tomato (they can overlap slightly.) Sprinkle the cheese and tomatoes with a little coarse salt.
Distribute the surimi evenly over the pies. Sprinkle the pies with coarse ground black pepper and drizzle with a little olive oil. (You can also add red pepper flakes for spicy heat.)
Bake at 450 degrees for 12-15 minutes until crust is lightly browned in spots. Allow to rest for a few minutes before serving
Makes four servings of Rustic Pesto Pizza with Crab Surimi, Fresh Mozzarella, and Tomatoes
Cook's Notes- You can find store-made pizza dough in the supermarket, most often near the bakery or appetizer section, but sometimes in with the frozen foods. It's inexpensive and a terrific time-saver. You can often find it in both white and whole wheat varieties; either is fine for this recipe. You can also make your own using this easy recipe
- Prepared pesto sauce can be found in jars (usually with the pasta sauces) or frozen. It's easy to make your own using this authentic recipe
- Surimi can be found either in the seafood department or in Asian groceries, labelled with names such as 'krab' or 'sea legs'. You can substitute any style surimi in this recipe, as the flavor is basically the same however it's shaped.