Radicchio Tardivo and Walnut Cream Bitter Artisan Pizza

Introduction

Benvenuti in cucina! Today we are embracing the sophisticated, deep flavors of the 'bitter' trend taking over the artisan pizza world. In my garden in Tuscany, the late-season radicchio and the pungent herbs are the stars. This pizza isn't just a meal; it is a balance of fire-charred bitterness, creamy earthiness, and the golden touch of our new-press olive oil. It is simple, using just a few ingredients that speak loudly of the earth.

Ingredients

• 250g slow-fermented sourdough pizza dough (72-hour cold ferment)
• 1 head Radicchio Tardivo or Treviso, sliced into long wedges
• 1/2 cup homemade walnut cream (soaked raw walnuts blended with water, garlic, and nutritional yeast)
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (Tuscan new-press)
• 1 tablespoon aged balsamic vinegar of Modena
• 1/4 cup toasted walnut halves
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
• A pinch of Maldon sea salt and cracked black pepper

Instructions

1. Pre-heat your oven with a pizza stone inside to its maximum temperature, ideally 250C or higher.
2. On a floured surface, gently stretch the sourdough dough by hand, being careful not to pop the air bubbles in the cornicione.
3. Spread a thin, even layer of the creamy walnut base over the dough, leaving a 2cm border for the crust.
4. Arrange the radicchio wedges on top like the spokes of a wheel; the heat will caramelize their natural sugars while intensifying their bitter edge.
5. Drizzle the greens lightly with one tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch of salt.
6. Slide the pizza onto the hot stone and bake until the crust is blistered and charred (leopard-spotted) and the radicchio tips are crispy.
7. Remove from the oven and immediately top with the toasted walnut halves and fresh thyme.
8. Finish with a generous swirl of the remaining olive oil and the aged balsamic vinegar to balance the bitterness.

There is a beauty in bitterness that opens the palate and the soul. Serve this while the crust is still singing from the heat of the oven, perhaps with a glass of chilled Vernaccia. It is the cucina povera spirit elevated to an art form. Buon appetito!

Isabella