Guajillo Chicken Tortilla Pizza
Chef Jeff Viviano
Bruin Plate Restaurant
UCLA
Los Angeles
Brown rice tortillas form the crust for these Mexican-inspired personal pizzas served at UCLA’s Bruin Plate Restaurant. Chef Jeff Viviano purees guajillo chiles to marinate the chicken and saves some for the pizza topping. Roasted poblanos, caramelized onions and cotija cheese ramp up the flavor even more.
Ingredients
6 oz. guajillo chile peppers
5 lb. chicken breasts
3 lb. poblano chile peppers
24 brown rice tortillas
3 cups caramelized onions
3 cups roasted red bell pepper strips
3 cups diced tomatoes
1½ lb. cotija cheese, crumbled
½ cup chopped chives
Steps
1. In bowl, pour boiling water over guajillo chiles. Let stand 30 minutes until softened.
2. Remove chilies from water; discard seeds and stems. Transfer chiles to blender; process until purees, using soaking liquid to thin, if necessary.
3. Place chicken breasts in large bowl. Toss with enough puree to coat breasts evenly. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours. Cover and reserve remaining puree for pizza topping.
4. Preheat convection oven to 400 F. Preheat grill to high. Grill chicken breasts for 1 minute on each side. Transfer chicken to sheet pan; roast in convection oven until internal temperature reaches 165 F.
5. Remove chicken and cool. Shred cooled chicken into large container and add reserved guajillo puree to coat evenly. Refrigerate until service.
6. Preheat convection oven to 425 F. Place poblanos on sheet pan; spray lightly with oil. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove and cool to room temperature. Remove stems, skin and seeds; slice into ¼-inch julienne strips.
7. To parbake tortillas, place tortillas on baking sheet in single layer. Bake in 400 F convection oven for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove and cool to room temperature.
8. For each serving, preheat pizza oven to 650 F. Place one tortilla on sheet pan. Spread lightly with 2 tablespoons guajillo puree; top with ½ cup guajillo chicken. Top with ¼ cup poblano strips, 2 tablespoons caramelized onions, 2 tablespoons roasted red peppers, 2 tablespoons diced tomatoes and 3 tablespoons cotija cheese in that order. Place pizza in oven for 2 to 3 minutes until heated through and cheese is lightly browned. Garnish with 1 teaspoon chopped chives.
Photo courtesy of California Milk Advisory Board