Kohlrabi, mozzarella and pea shoots pizza

Winter recipes

Kohlrabi isn’t the prettiest of things, but it really does taste quite delicious.

Kohlrabi is a large, bulbous vegetable that doesn’t get much attention on our shores, but I think it deserves some time in the limelight. It isn’t the prettiest of things, but it really does taste quite delicious, as I hope you’ll agree.

Kohlrabi pizza (makes 2 large pizzas)

Ingredients

650g Italian 00 flour
7g dried yeast
Good pinch of sea salt
40ml olive oil
300ml water (you may need to add a little more)
10 garlic cloves
2 kohlrabi
12 thyme sprigs
8 rosemary sprigs
400g mozzarella, whole and then sliced
150g grated Parmesan
75g pea shoots
Juice of 1 lemon

Method

To make the pizza base, combine the flour, yeast and salt. Stir in the olive oil, then gradually add the water to form a dough. Place it on a floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes, until smooth. Transfer to a bowl, cover with a damp tea towel and leave somewhere warm for about an hour, until doubled in size. Knock it back and then leave to rise again for half an hour.

Preheat your oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6. Divide the dough in two and roll out into large circles. Place them on pizza stones (if you have them) or lightly greased baking sheets.

Crush the garlic into a good splash of olive oil and mix well, then brush the mixture over the pizza bases and add seasoning. Peel and remove the leaves from the kohlrabis, then cut them into thin slices using a mandolin and arrange these on the bases.

Scatter over the thyme and rosemary and dot around slices of mozzarella. Top with the grated Parmesan and a final drizzle of olive oil, then bake in a hot oven for 10–12 minutes. Meanwhile, lightly dress the pea shoots with olive oil and lemon juice.

When it’s ready, top the pizza with scattered pea shoots and serve immediately.

More ways with kohlrabi

Kohlrabi-and-carrot fritters with sumac crème fraîche

Grate 1 peeled kohlrabi and 2 medium-sized carrots into a bowl. Add 2 beaten eggs, 2 finely chopped spring onions, 1 small, finely chopped red chilli, 50g of plain flour, 50g of fresh breadcrumbs and seasoning. Heat olive oil in a pan and drop spoonfuls of the mixture in, frying until golden on both sides. Serve with a few dollops of crème fraîche that have sumac and lemon zest stirred through and a scattering of rocket.

Kohlrabi slaw

Peel 2 kohlrabis and cut into fine, shredded slices—ideally, using a processor—then drain off any excess liquid using a colander. Grate 2 apples into a bowl with the seeds from a pomegranate, 75g of walnuts and the kohlrabi and stir well. To make the dressing, add 4 tablespoons of mayonnaise to a jam jar with a tablespoon of creamed horseradish, 30ml of apple-cider vinegar and seasoning and shake together. Pour the dressing over the salad and top with 2 chopped spring onions and a few more pomegranate seeds before serving.

Kohlrabi on the side

Peel 2 kohlrabis and cut into cubes. Stir in some olive oil so that the pieces are evenly coated, arrange on a tray and bake in a hot oven for about 25–30 minutes or until tender. Season well, stir in a squeeze of lemon juice and a generous scattering of grated Parmesan, then serve with a succulent steak.