Pizza Bianca with Jerusalem Artichokes
Jerusalem artichokes are nutty and slightly sweet in flavour. Just like a potato, they can be mashed, fried or roasted.
Their knobbly skins conceal the dirt, so give them a good scrub before roasting.
A pizza bianca (‘white pizza’) is devoid of a usual pizza’s tomato sauce. Light and creamy will ooze under the heat of the oven, creating a tasty base for the seasonal vegetable topping.
Ingredients (serves 2)
- 60g black olives
- 300g Jerusalem artichokes
- 200g kale
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 lemon
- 10g rosemary
- olive oil
- 200g pot mascarpone
- 2 spelt pizza bases
- 25g Italian hard cheese
Method
Preheat the oven to 200˚C/Gas 6. Make sure your oven shelf is near the top of the oven.
Put the olives in a mug and cover with water, to help to purge any salty brine.
Scrub the artichokes clean. Fill a saucepan with boiled water. Add a pinch of salt. Chop the artichokes into approx. 1-2cm chunks.
Add them to the water.
Boil for approx. 7-8 mins, until just tender when pierced with a knife.
Strip the leaves from the kale stalks. Roughly chop the leaves and discard the stalks.
Peel and finely chop 1 garlic clove. Finely zest the lemon.
Strip the leaves from a rosemary sprig. Discard the stalk and finely chop the leaves (you want approx. 1 tbsp).
Transfer the artichokes from the boiling water to a bowl with a slotted spoon, keeping the water boiling in the pan. Lightly coat the artichokes in oil and season.
Add the kale to the boiling water. Blanch for 2 mins. Drain into a colander. Rinse with cold water to cool it, then drain and squeeze well to remove excess moisture.
Mix the mascarpone, garlic, lemon zest and chopped rosemary. Spread it over the pizza bases.
Drain and roughly chop the olives. Top the pizza with the olives, kale and artichokes. Sprinkle over the cheese.
Slide the pizzas directly onto the oven shelf (this helps to crisp the base). Cook for 6-8 mins, until crisp and starting to colour. The timing may vary depending on the oomph of your oven. Cut into slices and enjoy!
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