Nettle and Ricotta Pizza
At Chez Panisse in Berkley in California, Alice Waters incorporates local wild foods into her menu – I enjoyed this delicious pizza straight from the wood-burning oven on a recent trip.
Makes 1
75g (3ozs) pizza dough (see recipe)
fresh young nettles about 200g (7ozs)
1 clove garlic slivered or finely chopped
35g (1½ ozs) fresh Mozzarella
Maldon sea salt and freshly ground pepper
extra virgin olive oil
25g (1oz) Ricotta or Ardsallagh goat cheese
Preheat the oven to 475F / 250C / gas 9.
Preheat a heavy baking sheet in the oven.
Stretch or roll the dough into a thin round. Sprinkle a little cornmeal onto a paddle. Lay the pizza on top. Brush with extra virgin olive oil, sprinkle with chopped garlic and roughly grated mozzarella. Top with a mound of young nettles. Mist generously with water, season with salt and freshly ground pepper and top with a few blobs of ricotta or Ardsallagh goat cheese.
Cook for 7-8 minutes depending on the intensity of the heat.
Remove from the oven, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and serve immediately with a few flakes of Maldon sea salt sprinkled over the top.
Forgotten Skills