The main thing I think about when putting together a pizza recipe is balance. I always try to have a combination of salty, sweet, heat, freshness and eye appeal. For my first recipe I wanted to feature something I really love, pork. I decided that the sweet juiciness of the blackberry pairs well with the rich, salty flavor of a beautifully seared pork belly.
The blackberries also keep well during the cooking process. They stay almost completely intact and explode with flavor when this sauce is done. For this pizza, I added some heat (habanero) that cooks with the berries, as well as some sugar to make a bright, sweet and flavorful seasoning. I love the way pork and fruit play with each other. Add these flavors to a crispy crust along with creamy whole milk mozzarella, fat delicious pork belly, a sweet/hot mix of some fresh seasonal berries and some greens and this is a balanced assault on your taste buds.
If you don’t want the heat, it’s perfectly fine without the habanero. My advice: start with half the habanero, seeds and ribs removed, when cooking with the berries. Taste the mixture after it has cooled slightly. If you’re fine with the heat, leave it be. If you say, “hey it’s not that bad, I can handle some more,” put the other half of the pepper (ribs and seeds removed, unless you’re really crazy) into the mixture for storage. Adding more heat is super easy. But it’s not that easy to take it away, so get into this and find the level you’re comfortable with. After finishing this pizza, I opted to go with some really thinly sliced ​​scallions and some micro arugula. The scallions have a mild and subtle onion flavor that I think goes well, while the arugula adds that freshness and a bit of black pepper flavor.
On deck: Berry Belly Pizza
Author: Pizza today
Type of recipe: pizza
- Three 10-ounce dough balls
- 12 ounces whole milk, low moisture mozzarella
- 6 ounces diced fresh mozzarella
- 12 ounces precooked pork belly
- 1 pint blackberries
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 habanero, thinly sliced, seeds/ribs removed
- 6 scallions
- Micro arugula
- Cut the pork into ¾ pieces, then add to a preheated pan over medium-high heat and sear on both sides until browned and the edges are slightly crispy.
- Remove the pork and place on a plate lined with a towel to cool. Add blackberries, sugar, water and half of the habanero to the same pan.
- Stir often. After 3-4 minutes the blackberries will begin to break down but still remain whole.
- Turn the heat down to low and cook for a further 3-5 minutes, while the juice from the berries starts to turn into syrup. Cool and tasty. If you can handle more heat, add the remaining habanero to the blackberry sauce. Thinly slice scallions and set aside.
- Roll out the pizza dough on a floured surface. Add 4 ounces whole milk mozzarella, 2 ounces diced fresh mozz, 3 ounces pork and cook pizza for about 8 minutes at 600F.
- When the pizza is done, take it out of the oven and let it rest on a wire rack for a minute.
- Cut the pizza into 6 slices, add a blackberry to each slice and pour a light reserved fruit syrup around the pizza.
- Sprinkle scallions and micro arugula to cover your pizza with bright green freshness. Enjoy!
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