lemon basil pizza

when i read about this lemon and basil pizza i knew i had to make it. i love using lemon in both sweet and savoury dishes and really enjoy the range of flavours you can create by using the whole fruit – this spicy chicken and pepper pasta is an old favourite, which is made really special by the addition of thin slices of lemon; i also like roasting chunks of lemon with vegetables or meat, so that the edges can caramelise and add an extra layer of flavour.

so, lemon and basil pizza… aka pizza sorrentina from kesté pizza & vino in new york's west village. a combination of smoked mozzarella, fresh basil and lemon slices.

i added some chopped garlic on top of my dough and then used a mix of fresh and smoked mozzarella. basil leaves added before and after cooking plus a scattering of finely sliced lemon pieces before it went in the oven.

the result was delicious – very simple, reminiscent of a cheesy garlic bread (maybe the garlic wasn’t the best idea) but with little hits of lemon or basil to punch through the richness. i will definitely be making this again, perhaps with chilli flakes instead of garlic. i think finely chopped fresh rosemary or sage would also be worth experimenting with. any other ideas?