Hello and welcome to Pizza and a Movie! I am really excited to share this pizza with you; wilted collard greens with thin slices of Coppa, mozzarella and asiago cheese; finished with a preserved lemon sauce (leftover from Preserved Lemon Chicken). It might sound a little strange, but don’t let that deter you from trying this pizza. It’s so savory and rich with brightness from the preserved lemon sauce. Let’s get to it!
The Collards
For the collard greens, I cooked the collards down with water and a little olive oil and Kosher salt – the same method we used for the Chicken and Black Bean Stew with Collards and Chorizo. I cooked about 8 ounces (or half of a 16-ounce bag) of washed, cut collard greens. Set those cooked collards aside until you’re ready to make the pizza.
We had lovely weather with temps in the mid-70’s, so we decided to take this pizza out to the wood fired oven. When making this pizza in your home oven, preheat your oven to 450 degrees.
Assembling the Collards and Coppa Pizza
Roll, stretch or toss your pizza dough into a roughly 12-inch round. The first layer will be mozzarella cheese.
First mozzarella. 
Then about 3/4 of the coppa. 
Top the coppa with the cooked greens.
Top the mozzarella with about 3/4 of the coppa. Then evenly distribute the cooked collard greens.
Top the greens with the remaining slices of coppa and top the coppa with grated asiago cheese. Bake the pizza for 15-20 minutes, until the crust is puffed and golden and the cheese is melted.
When the pizza comes out of the oven, top with a drizzle of the preserved lemon sauce. Slice and serve!
This pizza was a real surprise, I think toasted cumin seeds in the preserved lemon sauce adds an unexpected flavor and aroma that pairs beautifully with the cooked collard greens. Overall this is a deeply savory pizza brightened and lifted by preserved lemon.
Movie Night: Belfast
We have our Collards and Coppa Pizza ready, so let’s get to the movie! Belfast is the new film written and directed by Kenneth Branagh. Set in Belfast in the summer of 1969, the film depicts this tumultuous time in Northern Ireland through the eyes of a 9 year old boy, named Buddy. As violence encroaches on their neighborhood, the family must decide if they will stay or leave Belfast to escape the violence.
The familial relationships are written and acted beautifully. The scenes with the grandparents, played by Judi Dench and Ciarian Hinds are heartfelt and loving – their chemistry nearly steals the show. Belfast is available to rent on Apple TV, Vudu and Google Play.
Thank you all so much for joining me today for Pizza and a Movie. I do hope you give this Collards and Coppa Pizza a try. Making the Preserved Lemon Sauce may seem a bit extra, but it keeps really well in a jar in the fridge to use on other dishes and salads.
Collards and Coppa Pizza
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Loading...Collards and Coppa come together with asiago to make a deeply savory pizza brightened and lifted by a preserved lemon and toasted cumin sauce.
Ingredients
- 8 oz. Collard Greens, washed and cut into strips
- Drizzle of Olive Oil
- 2-3 tbsp. Water
- Prepared Pizza Dough
- 1/2 cup Mozzarella Cheese, grated
- 4 oz. Coppa
- 1/2 cup Asiago Cheese, grated
- Drizzle of Preserved Lemon Sauce
- Preserved Lemon Paste
- 1-2 Preserved Lemons (depending on size of lemon)
- 1/4 cup Fresh Lemon Juice
- Preserved Lemon Sauce
- 3 tbsp. Preserved Lemon Paste
- 3 cups Chicken Stock
- 1.5 tbsp. Unsalted Butter
- 2 Garlic Cloves, peeled and minced
- 1 tbsp. Granulated Sugar
- 1/8 tsp. Ground Turmeric
- 1.5 tsp. Cumin Seeds, toasted and roughly crushed in a mortar and pestle, divided
- 1.5 tbsp. Cornstarch
- 2 tbsp. Lemon Juice
- Black Pepper, to taste
Instructions
Collards
In a large skillet over medium heat, heat a drizzle of olive oil until shimmery. Add collards and water. Cook while stirring until the collards are wilted and turn bright green, become glossy and the water is evaporated. Remove from heat and set aside until ready to use.
Preserved Lemon Paste
Take 1-2 preserved lemons, 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice and blitz in the blender to get a thick paste. We only need three tablespoons of the paste for the lemon sauce.
Preserved Lemon Sauce
For the cumin seeds, toast them in a skillet over medium heat just until they become fragrant – about 30 seconds. Then grind the toasted seeds coarsely with a mortal and pestle.
In a medium sauce pan over medium-high heat, combine the chicken broth, butter, garlic, sugar, turmeric, preserved lemon paste, 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice and half of the ground cumin seeds (about 3/4 teaspoon). Bring this to a boil, and stirring occasionally, let this boil for about 15 minutes, until the sauce is reduced by about 1/3.
Then, transfer about a ladle-full of the sauce to a small bowl and whisk with 1.5 tablespoons of cornstarch until no lumps remain. Add this cornstarch slurry to the pot with the rest of the sauce and stir well to incorporate.
Season with a pinch black pepper. Let this keep cooking for about 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
Collards and Coppa Pizza
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Roll, stretch or toss your pizza dough into a roughly 12-inch round. The first layer will be mozzarella cheese.
Top the mozzarella with about 3/4 of the coppa. Then evenly distribute the cooked collard greens.
Top the collards greens with remaining coppa slices.
Top the coppa slices with asiago cheese.
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the crust is puffed and golden and the cheese is melted.
Top the baked pizza with a drizzle of Preserved Lemon Sauce.
