broccoli rabe and goat cheese pizza

I always seem to land on the recipes that require some sort of booze, it’s like I have a radar for it, yet I never realize it requires alcohol until after I’ve bookmarked it and have come back almost 2 years later and realize, whoa, this is a beer pizza. Then you have to make it, and you kick yourself for letting it take two whole years to get back to, I mean who does that?

Plus it gives you a reason to try new cool leafy green things, like rabe. After just trying swiss chard for the first time (yes, as in ever) I was amazed at how much I actually liked it, I mean me and green things, we don’t get along unless the word bean comes after it. Needless to say I was very excited — and it’s rabe season here, meaning it’s going to be real good.

Or so I thought. Having never eaten this particular green, one might assume that I at least looked up what it tasted like or perhaps how to cook the darn thing, but no. I plucked up a fluffy looking bunch and sauteed it until it looked….ehh, it’s done and found that I am not the huge broccoli rabe fan I was hoping to be. Perhaps I pinned too much hope on it after having wild success with chard, perhaps I was trying to slim off the few pounds (read: TEN!) I’ve gained from and since vacation, or perhaps I really just wanted to be a healthy eater after being obsessed with buttery prawns and ice cream. Either way, none of them came true. I am still an avid non-green eater, unless of course we’re talking beans or chard. I found it to be excessively bitter, and tasted just like broccoli (have I mentioned I’m not the biggest fan of that either?) and well, the goat cheese was at least fantastic. The husband, however, liked it — which is good, because I can’t really afford any more “mess-ups” at the moment. And he used the words “very broccoli” and “healthy tasting” to describe it, so, if you like broccoli, or its rabe counterpart, like greens in general, want to try something new, believe this is your calling for the shedding of extra vacation weight, or ya know, just want to try it because it sounds delicious, then please do. And for those of you who love this bittery green, do you think I prepared it wrong, is that why I am sliding off the leafy green bandwagon?

Oh, yes, the crust — fantastic (read: amazing, one of my favorites, will make it again, and every other possible good adjective you can think of).

One Year Ago: Skirt Steak with Caramelized Onions and Red Wine Jus, the best dinner you will ever serve

Broccoli Rabe and Goat Cheese Pizza
Adapted from Saveur

Makes one 15-inch pizza

Dough:
Makes enough for two 15-inch thin crust pizzas

2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 cup warm water
3 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup warm beer
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Parmesan cheese, grated

In a large bowl combine yeast, honey and water. Let sit until foamy, about 10 minutes. Add flour, beer, olive oil, and salt and stir together until it forms a coarse mass. If needed, add a tablespoon of warm beer at a time until everything comes together.

Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth, 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer to an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let dough rise in a warm spot until doubled in size 1 1/2 – 2 hours, or over night in the refrigerator.

Divide dough in half, reserving one half for another pizza, or double the toppings below for two pizzas.

Roll and stretch dough out evenly and gently until it is thin and about 15-inches in diameter. If using a baking stone, place dough on parchment paper sprinkled with flour or corn meal. If using a pizza pan, place dough in pan. Brush dough with a light coat of olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and parmesan cheese to taste. Set aside.

Place oven rack in the bottom most rung. Preheat to hottest temperature, mine goes to 550-degrees. If using a pizza stone, preheat now.

Toppings:
1 bunch broccoli rabe, rinsed and dried
2 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
1 lemon, zested
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Kosher salt and pepper
Parmesan cheese

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sautee rabe, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper until wilted.

Spread rabe, goat cheese, and lemon zest evenly over pizza. If using a pizza stone, remove from oven and carefully slide pizza onto the stone. Place pizza in oven and bake for 7- 12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven, sprinkle with a little extra parmesan, slice, and serve.