Our final package of rabbit brats from the Rare Hare Barn, for which we are developing recipes, seemed like a perfect topping for pizza. So, we had a pizza party! The rabbit bratwurst is lightly seasoned, perfectly salted (not too much), and lends itself to many possibilities (see this, this and this). Though rich in flavor, there is NO fat in these sausages and they require some added olive oil and gentle sautéing. My favorite no-fail, made-in-the-processor dough was the base for three pizzas. I apologize in advance for the length of this post – there was simply no other way that worked logically!
We are fortunate to have a baking stone that fits on our rather weird ceramic grill, which makes a perfect pizza oven. With a temperature of 500 – 600 F, we are able to simulate a real pizza oven, but you can do this with a stone in a regular, or better yet, convection oven at 450F.
Dough for three 14-inch pizzas
This is an easy, wholesome and no-fail delicious pizza crust!
1 1/2 C unbleached white flour
1 1/2 C white whole wheat flour
1 1/2 T olive oil
1 1/2 tsp sea salt
1 1/4 C barely warm filtered water (30 seconds at 70% power in microwave)
3 tsp yeast
Place flours, olive oil and salt in processor and blend until uniform. Sprinkle yeast on warm water and allow to become foamy (5 – 10 minutes). This yeast mixture should be cooler than non-processor mixtures because the processor heats the dough! When yeast is ready, turn on processor and drizzle the liquid through the feed tube. The dough should fairly quickly form a ball around the center. If not, drizzle in a tiny bit more water until the ball is forming. Run processor for one minute to knead dough.
Place a small splash of olive oil in the bottom of a large bowl, get some oil on your hands and remove dough from processor, forming a nice taut ball in your hands. Place in bowl, cover with plastic wrap and poke 5 holes in the wrap with a sharp knife so dough can breathe. Let rise at room temperature for 1 1/2 hours. Remove dough to hands, form into a taut ball again and let rise another 30 minutes. While the final rise is happening, prepare the topping ingredients and preheat pizza stone for 30 minutes on grill or in oven at 450F.
Pizza Topping Preparation
1 package rabbit brats, sliced in 1/4 inch slices and lightly sautéed in olive oil
1 orange and 1 red sweet pepper, grilled, peeled, and cut into strips (see Method below)
8 asparagus spears, ends peeled and steamed until barely tender, 1 inch pieces
parmesan Reggiano, freshly grated (about 1/2 C)
1/2 C crumbled Cypress Grove Humbolt Fog goat cheese
1/2 C minced fresh cilantro
1 T minced fresh rosemary
1 tsp dried oregano
1 yellow tomato, thinly sliced
1 red tomato, thinly sliced
1/4 preserved lemon, chopped into 1/8 inch bits
6 Kalamata or Alfonso olives, cut into slivers
1/2 tsp coarse salt
1 clove fresh garlic, finely minced
1/3 C sliced hearts of palm (canned)
coarse cornmeal for paddle
Method: My favorite way to grill peppers is to cut the flat sides off the peppers and lay skin-side
down on the grill, or skin side up under a broiler. When well-charred, remove and cover with a bowl for 10 minutes. It should then be easy to peel the charred skin off the peppers. Oh yes, and did we say how sexy the peppers were?
These ingredients, if prepped ahead and placed in little dishes, will provide the toppings for three gourmet pizzas, colorful, and delightful to eat. Each pizza has a unique flavor in spite of the common ingredients of rabbit brats, asparagus, peppers and tomatoes. Feel free to substitute and be creative. Engage your guests or children in the preparation – it makes for a great party. We served the pizzas with a simple salad and some sorbet for dessert. It is a flowing dinner as one pizza arrives while another one is being prepared, but guaranteed to be lively!
Pizza Uno
1/3 pizza dough
small handful of coarse cornmeal
1/3 sliced tomatoes
1 clove garlic finely minced
1/3 mixed pepper strips
1/3 rabbit brat slices
1/3 asparagus
1/2 cilantro
1 T rosemary
1/2 tsp coarse sea salt
1/2 parmesan cheese
olive oil for brushing dough
Roll out 1/3 of pizza dough on lightly floured board or marble, turning to achieve about a 14 inch circle. Don’t worry if it isn’t perfect, that’s what makes these pizzas stand out – the rustic look and taste! Drape dough over your rolling pin and quickly transfer to a pizza paddle that has been sprinkled with coarse cornmeal.
Brush dough with olive oil and begin topping. Always leave 1/2 inch of
bare dough on edges. Place tomato slices in a circle. Top with garlic
and pepper strips. Distribute asparagus and brat slices evenly.
Sprinkle Rosemary, cilantro, and salt over the top. Sprinkle parmesan
evenly over all. Place far edge of paddle near the far edge of stone
and rest it. With a confident jerk slightly forward and then backward,
slide the dough onto the stone. Close grill cover or oven door and
when pizza edges are browned and puffy (15 minutes or less), the pizza
is finished. Remove to a baking rack and let cool for 10 minutes
before slicing. Meanwhile, go on to #2.
Pizza Due
1/3 pizza dough
small handful of coarse cornmeal
1/3 sliced tomatoes
1/3 mixed pepper strips
1/3 rabbit brat slices
1/3 asparagus
Preserved lemon bits
Cypress Grove Humbolt Fog goat cheese
1/2 cilantro
Same process!
Pizza Tre
1/3 pizza dough
small handful of coarse cornmeal
1/3 sliced tomatoes
1/3 mixed pepper strip
1/3 rabbit brat slices
1/3 asparagus
hearts of palm
olive bits
oregano
parmesan
Bon Appetito!
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