German Brussels Sprouts Pizza with Blue Cheese, Onions and Almonds

If there’s one thing Germans love to debate when it comes to food, it’s Brussels sprouts. Either you love them or you hate them, and that animosity is usually based on generations of people over-cooking those miniature cabbages. Lucky for us, self-taught chef and Germany-based gourmand Jelena Lozo (@der_kulinarische_donnerstag) has found an almost foolproof way to turn everybody into a Brussels sprouts lover: sugar and blazing heat. 

Roasted and slightly caramelised, these sprouts are a game changer for winter dishes, side plates an - of course - delicious seasonal pizzas. In this German-inspired recipe, we use a classic pizza-turned-wintery pizza bianca (white pizza) with blue cheese, silky onions and crispy almond flakes. 

Using a savoury base of blue cheese and mozzarella adds a certain zing to complement the Brussels sprouts and onions, which are bound together with another distinctly German ingredient: beet syrup. This dark, sweet and slightly malty syrup (easily substituted with corn syrup) lends a nice earthy flavour to the toppings. Add to that the crisp texture of sliced almonds and we’re pretty sure most Brussels sprouts skeptics will turn into bona fide fans.

German Brussels Sprouts Pizza with Blue Cheese, Onions and Almonds

Note

This recipe would suit a variety of pizza styles, but we think our Classic Pizza Dough would be a great fit. Make sure to prepare your dough ahead of time to ensure it rises at room temperature before firing up your oven, about 4 hours before cooking.

For the Brussels sprouts

1. Clean the Brussels sprouts and use a mandoline or sharp knife to cut the sprouts as thinly as possible.

2. In a medium saucepan, bring the salted water to a boil.

Add the sliced Brussels sprouts, blanch for 1 to 2 minutes and drain.

3. In a small bowl, mix the sprouts with olive oil and beet syrup and set aside.

For the caramelised onions

1. Preheat your Ooni oven to 250 °C.

Use the infrared thermometer to quickly and accurately check the baking stone temperature.

2. Preheat your cast-iron skillet in the oven for 10 minutes.

Once heated, remove the skillet with your gloves; add the onion slices, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper into the skillet and mix until the onion slices are completely coated.

3. Place the skillet back inside the oven for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until the onions have sweated down and are translucent.

Add the syrup and cook for another 5 minutes in the oven until slightly browned.

4. Remove with gloves and set aside.

Ooni Nils Hofmann Rosenkohlpizza mit Rübensirup 2

For the pizza

1. Add blue cheese, shredded mozzarella and cream to a bowl and use a fork to thoroughly mix the ingredients until they are completely combined.

2. Raise the temperature of your oven, aiming for 350 °C to 400 °C on the baking stone inside.

Use the infrared thermometer to quickly and accurately check the stone temperature.

3. Place a pizza dough ball on a lightly-floured work surface and push the air out from the center of the dough into the crust.

Use your fingers and knuckles to gently stretch out the dough to 12 inches (30 centimetres) or 16 inches (40 centimetres). Transfer the stretched dough to a lightly dusted pizza peel while pulling gently at the edges to stretch it out further.

4. Take 2 spoonfuls of the cheese mixture and spread it outward in a thin layer from the centre of the pizza base towards the edge.

Scatter the slices of brussels sprouts, onions and sliced almonds over the pizza.

5. Slide the pizza off the peel and into the oven.

Cook the pizza for 1 to 2 minutes, turning it every 20 seconds to ensure an even bake.

Ooni Nils Hofmann Rosenkohlpizza mit Rübensirup 8

6. Remove from the oven and top with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt and drizzles of beet syrup and extra-virgin olive oil.

7. Slice, serve and enjoy! .

Slice, serve and enjoy!