I find it really odd when people eat the sloppy pizza middle and leave the crusts, which are my favourite part of a pizza. I like to fold my pizza, and in doing so spread some of the sauce and cheese on the crust, or I’ll roll the slice around the crust, so it looks a bit like a pizza croissant, encasing it in those tasty toppings before eating it like a tomato and cheese roll.
Sometimes, however, especially if I get too full, I have been known to – shock horror! – leave the crusts, which got me to thinking about how to repurpose them. The best solution, of course, is simply to order less pizza but, failing that, a pizza crust dip is a delicious way to use them up. In today’s recipe, I use pizza crusts to make a piquant rouille, a thick French sauce that’s normally served with fish but is, in fact, lovely with almost anything – even as a dip for pizza crusts.
Pizza crust rouille
Nowadays, rather than order too much, we usually order one large pizza between the three of us and make a large salad and a dip to go alongside, which saves money and calories (I have to watch my weight pretty closely). If you don’t normally eat pizza crusts, you could make this rouille within minutes of your pizza’s delivery, using just a few crusts to create a dip for the rest of your pizza. (Otherwise, make it in advance with stale bread.) Any tomato on the edge of the crust will add flavour and colour to the rouille, which will keep in the fridge for up to five days and is delicious alongside any meal as a replacement for mayonnaise.
1 pinch saffron strands, or ½ tsp ground turmeric
1 tbsp white-wine vinegar, or cider vinegar
50g pizza crusts, or stale bread
1 large garlic clove, peeled
50g aquafaba, or 1 small egg
¼ tsp hot paprika, or chilli powder
100-150ml extra-virgin olive oil
Salt
Toast the saffron in a dry pan until the strands darken and turn brittle, then grind to a powder in a mortar (if you don’t have saffron, use ground turmeric instead). Stir in three tablespoons of water and the vinegar.
Rip the pizza crusts into a food processor, then pour in the saffron mixture and add the garlic, aquafaba (or egg) and paprika. Blitz to combine, then, with the motor running, slowly drizzle in the extra-virgin olive oil until the mixture emulsifies and thickens. Season to taste with sea salt, then serve as a dip for your pizza crusts, or with grilled fish or chicken.
