Shrimp and Chorizo Pizza with Manchego Cheese, Toasted Garlic, and Escarole

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Preheat the oven to 500°F. Put a pizza stone or a baking sheet on the middle rack and preheat it along with the oven for at least 20 minutes.

   Step 2

   Put a large skillet over high heat and coat it with the oil. When the oil is hot, add the garlic and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, for only 10 to 20 seconds, until it just begins to lightly brown. You have to keep moving the garlic around the pan so it doesn’t burn; if it does, start over because nothing is worse than the flavor of burnt garlic. Quickly add the escarole and season with salt and pepper. Cook, turning the escarole over with the spoon, until it wilts, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat, turn out onto a large plate or baking sheet, and allow to cool. If the escarole looks too wet, transfer to a colander and drain in the sink.

   Step 3

   To prepare the pizza, dip the ball of dough into a little flour, shake off the excess, and set on a clean, lightly floured surface. Stretch the dough with your hands, turning the ball as you press down the center. Continue spreading the dough into a 10-inch circle with either your hands or a rolling pin. Leave the dough slightly thick so the topping does not seep through.

   Step 4

   Dust a pizza paddle with flour (if you don’t have a paddle you can use a rimless cookie sheet as a substitute) and slide it under the dough. Lightly brush the outer edge of the dough with oil to create a sheen on the surface of the crust. An important tip: take care not to get any oil on the pizza paddle or pan, or else when you try to slide the dough off , it will stick.

   Step 5

   Spread the cheese evenly on the pizza, leaving about a 1/4-inch border. Distribute the shrimp and chorizo evenly over the cheese. Spread the escarole evenly over the top.

   Step 6

   Slide the prepared pizza onto the hot baking stone and bake until the crust is nicely browned, roughly 10 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and slice with a pizza cutter.

2. Ingredient note

   Step 7

   Escarole

   Step 8

   A wonderfully versatile green, escarole remains one of those vegetables that people aren’t sure how to prepare. You can eat escarole raw in a salad, and I love it that way, especially with Creamy Parsley Dressing (page 87), but it’s at its best cooked. It’s less bitter than its cousins radicchio and chicory, and sautéing it mellows out the flavor, making it sweet and vibrant. Escarole can be pretty sandy when you take it home from the market; luckily it is easy to clean. Cut the escarole crosswise into 1/2-inch-wide strips and put it in a large bowl of water. Swish the water around; the sand will fall to the bottom of the bowl. Lift the escarole out with your hands and put on a kitchen towel to dry. That’s it!