Bianca with Fontina, Mozzarella, Sottocenere al Tartufo, and Sage

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Pour enough olive oil into a small skillet or saucepan to 1 inch deep and line a small plate with paper towels. Heat the oil over medium-high heat until a pinch of salt sizzles when dropped into it. Add the whole sage leaves and fry for about 30 seconds, until crisp and bright green. (If you overcook them, they turn brown and ugly.) Use a slotted spoon to remove the sage from the oil, transfer to the paper towels to drain, and season with salt. Strain the sage-infused oil through a fine-mesh strainer and reserve it to fry sage another time or to drizzle over grilled meats or vegetables. The sage can be fried up to several hours in advance. Store it in an airtight container at room temperature.

   Step 2

   Prepare and stretch the dough and preheat the oven according to the instructions given in “Nancy’s Scuola di Pizza” (page 128).

   Step 3

   Brush the rim of the dough with the 1 tablespoon of olive oil and season the entire surface with salt. Spoon the cream onto the center of the dough and use the back of the spoon to spread it over the surface of the dough, leaving a 1-inch rim without any cream. Sprinkle the chopped sage over the cream, cover with the shredded sottocenere, and scatter the fontina and mozzarella cubes over the pizza. Slide the pizza into the oven and bake until the cheese is melted and the crust is golden brown and crispy, 8 to 12 minutes.

   Step 4

   Remove the pizza from the oven and carefully tilt it over a plate to drain the excess oil. Discard the oil. Cut the pizza into quarters, scatter the fried sage leaves over the surface, and serve.

2. Suggested Wine Pairing

   Step 5

   Valpolicella Classico Superiore (Veneto)