Fig, Taleggio, and Radicchio Pizza

Name: Fig, Taleggio, and Radicchio Pizza
Ingredients: 3 dried Mission figs; 1/2 cup dry red wine; 2 tablespoons raw walnut pieces; All-purpose flour; 1 (6-ounce) ball No-Knead Pizza Dough (page 104) or No-Knead Pizza Dough with Spelt (page 105); 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; 1/2 small head radicchio, shredded (about 1/4 cup); 2 ounces Taleggio or another pungent cheese, cut into small pieces

December 14, 2011

When I asked friends for their favorite pizza-combination ideas, this one, from former Boston Globe Living Arts editor Fiona Lewis, jumped to the front of the line. First, I’m a freak for figs: fresh when they’re in season, of course, but dried at other times of the year. Second, when Fiona mentioned it, I had just started yielding to an addiction to Taleggio, the pungent, slightly bitter Italian cheese that tastes of mushrooms. I immediately thought walnuts would be a perfect crunchy addition to this party, and I invited along my old friend radicchio to add even more bitterness. Once I got the layering order right (walnuts need to go on the bottom, under the nest of radicchio, to avoid burning under the broiler), this was a keeper. Obviously, if you want to make this when fresh figs are in season, by all means do so; skip the soaking-in-wine step and you’ll be good to go.

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