Roasted Garlic and Wild Mushroom Naan Flatbreads

Scoot up a chair and prepare yourself as I bestow upon you the secret of my finest party trick.

No, I’m not going to teach you a handcuff escape routine with a beer bottle, a piece of dental floss, and a kalamata olive. Though that would be pretty MacGyver.

When you have guests coming over, this is the only thing you need up your sleeve:

Roasted garlic.

Wait. Don’t actually put roasted garlic in your sleeve. You would never get that smell out.

If there’s one sublime fragrance that fills the air with pure happiness and hunger, it’s roasted garlic. Literally nothing else perfumes a home with comfort better than the warm aroma of a whole head of garlic caramelizing away in the oven.

Set a timer for yourself an hour before your company arrives, plop the little sucker in the oven, and go back to curling your hair.

So simple a monkey could do it—roasted garlic is one of the most straightforward ingredients you, or your pet monkey, has ever prepared. As the cloves roast, they become mellow, nutty, sweet, and spreadable.

Now that I’ve got you drooling, I assume you understand why roasted garlic is one of the main components of this flatbread recipe. Speaking of—have you ever wondered what differentiates naan bread from pita bread?

While both are round, slightly leavened flatbreads, naan typically contains yogurt, milk, and sometimes eggs or butter.

Though I always can (and will) get down with a pita pizza, this is the main reason I consistently choose naan as my number one flatbread vehicle. The dairy products give it a softer texture whereas pita can be on the drier side.

I’ve made naan pizzas every which way and—good news for all of you—have finally perfected the craft of transforming these thin, fluffy ovals into something to behold (and be eaten).

As far as important discoveries go in my quest for naan pizza perfection, I’d like to share two things. One: let’s talk oven temperature. This may seem obvious, but let me explain.

When it comes to cooking traditional pizza, tremendously high heat is known for being the key to success. Sure, when you’re charring raw dough, the higher the better. When that crust bubbles, it’s the natural result of fermenting yeast and sugar
trapping carbon dioxide in the dough.

The dough expands and thus—gorgeous, blistered, wood-fired pies are born.

But in the world of naan, we’re working with a different base.

In our case, we’re just looking to crisp the bottom and melt the toppings. That being said, oil on the bottom of the flatbread is a step you don’t want to miss. It adds to the overall flavor—but most importantly, the golden-brown crunch factor on
the bottom of your finished flatbread.

Trust me. I’ve cooked and eaten my fair share of naan pizzas all for the purpose of this study. You’re welcome.

So, what have we learned so far? Oil your flatbread all over for optimum crisp, and keep your oven at a medium-high temperature that’s meant for even-cooking and topping-melting.

Speaking of toppings…

While naan bread would be delicious garnished with socks, there are certain toppings that actually enhance and parallel the personality of the flatbread. Wild mushrooms, for example, have a nutty, rich flavor that mimics its earthiness.

From there, I like to hit ‘em with a bang.

And by bang, I mean some sort of pungent cheese. This isn’t the place to fool around with mellow fontina or mild mozzarella. The mushrooms beg to be balanced by an ingredient that is anything but quiet.

Enter: sharp provolone cheese sauce.

Technically a mornay (a béchamel whisked with cheese), this ooey, gooey, dreamy delight is made with just a few ingredients and comes together in under ten minutes. For variations, aged gruyere, funky Italian taleggio, or even Pecorino Romano cheese
could be substituted for the provolone.

Now that we’ve established a sharp, salty base and a robust layer of mushrooms and oniony shallots with fresh herbs, we turn to something savory to bring it all back home.

Re-enter: roasted garlic.

Final takeaways: always produce good smells before guests arrive, make and share these flatbreads for friends, and don’t be afraid to put garlic cloves in your shirt.

Class dismissed.

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Chef’s Tips

1. 1. A big golden head of roasted garlic makes a gorgeous addition to a gourmet cheese and fruit plate. Serve with a butter knife and crusty bread.
   2. To add richness to soups and sauces, mash the garlic cloves with the flat side of your knife, and stir them in. The paste will dissolve perfectly into the warm liquid.
   3. To mix the mashed cloves into a room temperature substance, like a vinaigrette, use a blender or food processor to evenly scatter them evenly throughout.
   4. Enjoy these flatbreads as a main meal with a simple side salad, or cut them into smaller pieces and serve alongside pasta in place of garlic bread.

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Cooking By the Numbers…

Step 1 – Roast the Garlic

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Slice off the very top of the garlic head so that the cloves are exposed. Drizzle the cloves with 2 tablespoons of the oil and sprinkle with the salt.

Wrap the entire head in foil and bake until golden and tender, 50 to 55 minutes.

To pop out the cloves, gently squeeze them out of their shells. Roughly chop the roasted garlic and set it aside. Reserve the garlic oil.

Step 2 – Sauté the Mushroom-Shallot Mixture

Slice the mushrooms and chop the shallots and thyme.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter. Working in batches so you don’t crowd the pan, sauté the mushrooms and shallots, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are golden-brown, about 2-3 minutes.

Season with 2 tablespoons of the thyme, and a pinch each of salt and pepper.

If the mushrooms crowd the pan, they’ll steam instead of brown.

Step 3 – Make the Provolone Cheese Sauce

Wipe out the skillet, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter over medium-low heat, and swirl to coat the pan. When the butter begins to foam and sizzle, add the flour and whisk until combined. Cook, stirring often until smooth, for 1 minute. Slowly stream in the milk, vigorously whisking as you pour, and then cook until thickened, about 2-3 minutes. Whisk in the provolone until melted and thoroughly combined. Season the sauce with a pinch each of salt and pepper.

Step 4 – Build and Bake the Flatbreads

Prepare 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Evenly drizzle the naan breads on both sides with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and place them on the parchment paper. You can also drizzle the parchment paper with some of the olive oil. This will ensure a crunchy, golden-brown bottom.

Spread the flatbreads with the provolone cheese sauce and then evenly top them with the roasted garlic, mushroom-shallot mixture, 2 tablespoons of the Pecorino Romano, and the crushed red pepper flakes.

Bake until the bottoms of the flatbreads are golden-brown and crispy and the cheese is bubbly, about 10-12 minutes.

Step 5 – Garnish and Serve

Garnish the flatbreads with the remaining thyme and Pecorino, and drizzle with the reserved garlic oil. Slice and serve warm.

Roasted Garlic Perfume Back by Popular Demand.

Okay, you might not want to rub roasted garlic cloves behind your ears (or maybe you do—hey, I’m not judging), but you definitely want to scatter it all over these naan pizzas.

Roasted garlic-flavored flatbreads are fairly easy to find in supermarkets these days, but feel free to swap in the whole wheat variety for that added boost of nutrition.

Do the words “pizza perfection” make you drool? Same. Break out the red pepper flakes and give these foldable foods a try:

• Stovetop Tandoori Tikka Naan Pizza
• Fun and Tasty Mummy Pizzas
• Crockpot Crustless Pizza