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WISEGUY PIZZA

Yes, sometimes less is still too much. But other times, well … sometimes more is still not enough, and that’s the spirit of the Wiseguy. The Wiseguy is a bit over the top on purpose and tips the scales of balance to the max. It’s got a sense of humor. At the time this pizza came into being, the movie Goodfellas was immensely popular, and I found myself thinking, What would I make if a guy like Paulie rolled up to my shop? I’d want it to be pretty special but not take itself too seriously. So here we are: smoked mozzarella, onions roasted in our wood-burning oven, and fennel sausage. A reimagined sausage pizza. The mozzarella is almost nutty from the pecan wood we use to smoke it, the onions are a little leathery and toothsome, and the sausage tastes almost piney. Each ingredient brings a specific flavor profile that balances the others: You’ve got elements of sweet, salty, fatty, campfire, woodsiness. And each ingredient has its own distinct texture. I wanted a pie I could pick at, and pull things off of with my fingers: I love the snap of a good sausage, and here we cut the sausage on the diagonal so it will curl slightly as it cooks and so you can see the interior. The roasted onions, redolent of char from that hot oven, are in thick slices, so you have to bite into them. The mozzarella has the chew you expect but surprises with its smokiness. I’ve always loved smoked mozzarella—when I was a kid, it was probably the most exotic thing I ate. If you can’t find it, substitute smoked Gouda or a smoked young cheddar. At our restaurants, we do a really quick hot smoke on the cheese because I don’t want it to be too acrid, or it would overpower the pizza. Of course, you could just use fresh mozzarella, if smoke is not your thing.

If you want a great little antipasto, cook some onions as in this recipe, then dress them with balsamic vinegar, some toasted or fried coarse bread crumbs, and a little grated pecorino.

Makes one 10-inch pizza

1 large white or yellow onion, sliced into thick rings

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

One ball Pizza Dough, rested and ready to shape

2 ounces smoked mozzarella, smoked Gouda, or smoked cheddar, sliced or cut into cubes

½ pound sweet Italian sausages, or your favorite sausages, cooked (grilled, panfried, or roasted, as you like) and thinly sliced on the diagonal

Coarse sea salt

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven (remove the rack above it) and preheat the oven to 400°F.

Arrange the onion slices on a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with the 1 tablespoon olive oil, then carefully turn them so they’re evenly coated with oil. Season with fine sea salt and pepper and pop them into the oven for 10 minutes. Carefully turn the onion slices and cook for 10 more minutes. Toss them well and cook for about 10 minutes longer; you want them to get a beautiful color, a good golden brown, and to cook down significantly but still have integrity. Scrape them into a bowl and toss them with the parsley. Set aside.

Place a pizza stone on the oven rack and increase the oven temperature to its maximum setting. Since the oven is already hot, another 20 minutes or so of preheating should do it.

Grab a pizza peel and give it a nice, light dusting of flour. Shape the dough as directed and set the dough on the floured peel. Jerk the peel to make sure it’s not sticking. If it is, lift the dough and dust the underside with extra flour (or, if no one is looking, blow under it very gently). Tuck and shape it until it’s a happy circle.

Hit the dough with the mozzarella, scattering it evenly and stopping about ¾ inch—a fat thumb’s width—from the edges. Add the caramelized onion slices, draping them over the spots where there’s less cheese. Finally, add the sausage, arranging it to balance the cheese and onion.

Open the oven and, tilting the peel just slightly, give it a quick shimmy-shake to slide the pizza onto the pizza stone. Bake the pizza for 10 to 15 minutes, until the crust is crisp and golden brown.

Remove the pizza with the peel, sprinkle with a pinch of coarse salt, and drizzle with olive oil. Enjoy immediately!