Smoked Mozzarella, Sausage and Cabbage Pizza With Romaine & Apple Salad
Makes 2 servings
Extra-virgin olive oil, as needed 1 teaspoon flour, if needed 1 pound plain pizza dough 4 ounces smoked mozzarella
1⁄2 head small green cabbage cheese, cut into small cubes (about 10 ounces) 1⁄4 cup whole almonds 1 small onion 1 romaine heart 4 to 5 cloves garlic 1 small or 1⁄2 medium Granny 1 link Italian sausage, casing Smith apple or your favorite removed variety Salt & pepper to taste 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1⁄2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1⁄4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste 1⁄2 teaspoon honey 2 tablespoons cornmeal
Lightly oil a small bowl. Take the pizza dough out of the refrigerator, unwrap it, place it in the bowl and cover it with a dish towel to come up to room temperature while you prepare the toppings.
Place your pizza stone on the middle rack of the oven and crank it up to 550 degrees or its highest setting (if using an outdoor gas grill, turn on all the burners and let your grill heat up with the pizza stone in place). If your oven has a convection fan, turn it on to get the heat moving around the stone.
Prep the cabbage by removing and discarding the core, then thinly slice the leaves. Peel and cut the onion in half and then into half moons. Peel and mince the garlic.
Heat a large, deep-sided skillet or braiser over medium heat. Add a teaspoon of olive oil. Once shimmering, add the sausage, breaking it up with a spatula and cook until no longer pink. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
Place the pan used for the sausage over medium heat; add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Toss in the onions and saute for 2
Recipe is copyrighted by Anita L. Arambula and is reprinted with permission from “Confessions of a Foodie.” minutes — season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Continue to saute for 5 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of water, scraping up any browned bits stuck to the pan. Once the water evaporates, continue cooking the onions until golden, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add the cabbage and 1⁄4 cup water; stir to wilt (add the cabbage in batches if your pan isn’t big enough). Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for 6 to 8 minutes. Toss in the red pepper flakes and cook 2 minutes longer. Taste and adjust seasoning. Remove from heat.
When ready to assemble, spread most of the cornmeal evenly across a pizza peel. Stretch or roll the dough to 1⁄4-inch thickness (sprinkle flour over the dough if using a rolling pin). Shake the peel to test that the dough moves freely; if it doesn’t, carefully lift it and spread the rest of the cornmeal on the peel. Return the dough to the peel and spread the cabbage mixture, cheese and sausage evenly across the surface, leaving about a 1-inch border. Transfer the pizza to the hot stone. Depending on how high your oven temperature goes, bake for 8 to 14 minutes or until the crust is deeply golden and the cheese has melted. Let rest a few minutes before slicing. Garnish with a drizzle of olive oil.
While the pizza is baking, make the salad. Toast the almonds in a dry pan on the stovetop or in a toaster oven until fragrant, then rough chop. Cut the root end off the romaine heart, cut the leaves into thirds, rinse and pat dry; place in a serving bowl. Core and thinly slice the apple; add to the bowl. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper and toss to distribute. Combine the vinegar, Dijon and honey in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Season the vinaigrette with salt and pepper to taste. Toss the salad with the vinaigrette and divide it between two bowls. Garnish each bowl with the toasted almonds.