On deck: Berry Belly Pizza

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.