Cauliflower Crust Pizza

Word on the street has been that this is just one of those “must try” recipes. I am very glad to have satisfied my curiosity, since the result was very tasty and satisfying. It is by no means pizza, but we can’t hold that against it. I’m glad I chose to make it without tomato sauce, for any more moisture and it would have been quite wet through.

photo 4

Err on the side of overcooking this, to ensure the crispiest crust possible. I would also recommend using rubber gloves to squeeze the toweled cauliflower, since the steaming substance nearly burnt my hands and it’s very unpleasant to be upset with a recipe at the very beginning.

I used Deb’s toppings with my own twist, and for the base combined a couple of different recipes (here and here). Adjust to taste!

photo 1

photo 3

 

Cauliflower Crust Pizza

1 large head cauliflower
2 eggs
2/3 c goat cheese
2 t salt
1 clove garlic, minced
1 t oregano
pepper
red chili flakes

To rice the cauliflower, cut the head down into chunks and process in batches in a food processor. Do not overdo it or else you will have mush on your hands. Meanwhile, heat a pot on the stove with about 1 in of water. When the cauliflower rice is ready, place in the pot and cook, covered, for 4-5 minutes over medium heat. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and prep two baking sheets with parchment paper. Pass the cooked cauliflower through a fine-mesh strainer, then place in a dish towel or cheese cloth. Squeeze as much of the excess moisture out as possible (this is key, so don’t skip it. And don’t forget your gloves!) and then put the cauliflower in a large bowl. Mix in the eggs, cheese, garlic, oregano, pepper, and chili flakes. Mix very well. Divide the “dough” in two and shape each portion into a rectangle on the baking sheets. Bake for 40 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven, place on your toppings, return to the heat for another 10 minutes, remove and cool slightly.

I went with caramelized onions (made a kind of “sauce”), shaved asparagus, grated parmigiano, discs of mozzarella, and thinly sliced green onions. Superb!

photo 2

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *