VIEW SLIDESHOW: Top This: Cavolfiori (à la Stella 34)
[Photographs: Erin Mosbaugh]
Located high above midtown on the top floor of Macy's department store, Stella 34 serves Neapolitan pizza that's worth talking about. Executive Chef Jarett Appell has earned the two Wood Stone gas-assist pizza ovens at his disposal—schooled in pizza making in Italy, he went on to work at Union Square Cafe, Craft, and Donatella before tackling his current gig at Stella.
It's in those 900-1000 degree ovens that he bakes the Cavolfiori: a white pie with a base of creamy cauliflower purée, strewn with thinly sliced Meyer lemon and roasted cauliflower florets, and finished with golden breadcrumbs for texture. Although your kitchen may not have the same stunning view of the Empire State Building as the Stella 34 dining room, you can still recreate the restaurant's Cavolfiori pie at home.
Chef Jarett Appell's badass pizza tattoo.
What You'll Need (for one pizza)
- 1 dough portion (Watch this video to learn how to make Neapolitan-style dough)
- 2 heads cauliflower
- Heavy cream
- 1 Meyer lemon
- 1 loaf stale bread, crust removed (Chef Appell gets his bread from Italian bakery Il Fornaretto in Bensonhurst)
- Olive oil
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
Stella 34 Trattoria
151 West 34th Street, New York NY 10001 (map)
212-967-9251 patinagroup.com
About the author: Originally from Los Angeles, Erin Mosbaugh writes Je Blague, where she captures her food adventures in NYC and beyond. Erin also writes dining and nightlife features for Robb Report's New York City and First We Feast.