Cocoa Nib and Spiced Lamb Sausage Pizza Recipe
During a recent interview, the subject turned to chocolate, specifically this cocoa nib sausage, which I use to top the pizza dough recipe from The Great Book of Chocolate, which has a bit of chocolate added to it.
There are many cultures that use chocolate in savory dishes, whose origins go back hundreds and in some cases, thousands of years, including Mole. In France, it’s not uncommon for many cooks to sneak a bit of grated a chocolate into their Coq au Vin. So why not in pizza?
My good friend Joanne Weir, who I cooked with at Chez Panisse, came over the other day to make pizza. And we made this sausage, which is easily put together in a skillet, and is a great topping for pizza. The gentle spices give the pizza a slightly elusive touch, and the meaty lamb is a good match with the little crunchy pine nuts. If you don’t have my chocolate book, you can use the pizza dough recipe here, which can be divided in two to make two pizzas.
Cocoa Nib and Spiced Lamb Sausage Pizza
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 1/2 pound ground lamb
- 1/2 cup peeled, seeded, and chopped canned plum tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste or harissa
- 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 3 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
- large pinch each cinnamon, allspice and cloves
- 1/8 teaspoons red pepper or chili flakes
- salt and freshly ground pepper
- fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup roasted cocoa nibs
- 4 ounces fontina cheese, grated
- 2 ounces mozzarella cheese, grated
- In a small bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons olive oil and the minced garlic. Set aside.
- Heat remaining olive oil in a skillet and cook the onions until soft and translucent. Add the lamb, tomatoes, tomato paste (or harissa), parsley, pine nuts, spices, and season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Cook slowly for 10 minutes (uncovered).
- Remove from heat and add a squeeze or two of fresh lemon juice and let cool to room temperature. Once cooled, stir in the cocoa nibs.
Notes
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