AOC's Focaccia of Ricotta and Braised Spring Onions

As part of Eater Pizza Week 2014, chefs at five LA restaurants that don't serve pizza agreed to make a special limited edition pizza-inspired creation served just this week. Every day we'll highlight a new pizza, today we have the Focaccia of Ricotta and Braised Spring Onions from AOC.

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When Il Covo was serving in this spot, pizzas reigned inside the wood-burning oven, but after Suzanne Goin's AOC took over, the only thing resembling a pizza was focaccia. But pizza lovers won't be craving a pie after trying this special creation by chef de cuisine Lauren Herman, who was inspired to use seasonal ingredients no matter what. Right now, fava beans are at their height, with spring arriving.

According to Herman, ricotta works as a lighter cheese while a hint of meyer lemon brings balance to the pie. First, she lets the dough temper and rise to double its size. After trimming and prepping the spring onions, she sautes with butter until soft. She boils and shocks the favas before shucking and blending into a pesto with garlic and pinenuts. For an extra burst of flavor, the focaccia gets castelvetrano olives and meyer lemon, polished off with some olive oil and whole favas as garnish.

To finish the foccacia, Herman rubs the dough with olive oil, dabbles on some fresh ricotta, places on spring onions and whole fava beans before throwing it into the wood-fired oven. It gets dabbed with the fava bean pesto and more olive oil.
·All Pizza Week 2014 Coverage [~ELA~]