Pizza Today - August 2021 - 46

notes. Sweet, savory, spicy and citric. "
Another recent one included bacon,
apples and blue cheese.
Hot honey is a pizza topping
that seems to have exploded in
the last five years. And it is popular
for a good reason. The initial hit of
sweetness followed by the bite of
peppery heat is all smoothed out by
the salty, creamy mozzarella on the pie.
I've made my own since I opened my
shop by simply combining Calabrian
chili peppers with wildflower honey.
However, if you don't want to add
another item to your prep list, there
are plenty of options out there to buy.
Hot honey first caught my
attention when I lived in New York
and had it on a pie at Paulie Gee's
in Green Point, but one of the most
beautiful pizza's I've seen is created by
Justin De Leon of Apollonia's Pizzeria
in L.A.
De Leon's pepperoni, burrata and
hot honey square is eye-catching. It
is a pizza that was inspired by his
photographic background. Although
this is the pie that gets all of the hype
at his shop, another sweet and savory
pie he offers is the Eastside Classic. I
am not personally as attached to the
heated debate surrounding pineapple
on pizza as I know a lot of people are.
For this reason, I loved his take on
it because, to me, you should always
look at every ingredient's merit when
creating a pizza or any other dish. The
name is in reference to the Eastside of
L.A. and not the East Coast, De Leon
explains. " I do make the geographic
reference because of its controversial
topping, the pineapple, " he says. " I've
never been a fan of pineapple on
pizza but this combination shatters
that taboo. The balance of cup and
char pepperoni, spicy jalapeño, garlic,
bacon, onion and sweet pineapple
never felt so right! "
There are a few things to keep
in mind when creating sweet
and savory combinations. The
first thing is, don't overdo the sweet.
I like to have one key sweet flavor,
whether it is fresh or dried fruit, jam,
syrup, honey or agave. You want the
sweetness to compliment the other
flavors, not overpower them. Keep in
mind it's more like a cheese plate than
dessert. The same goes for the other
elements. You want the salt to enhance
and bring out the other ingredients,
but you don't want a mouthful of salt.
Always think about the balance of the
flavors. Next, don't be afraid to add a
little spice. A kick of chilies or spicy
arugula can do wonders for bringing
all of the flavors together. Then there
is cheese. The creaminess of cheese
can round out the sharp edges and
there are so many options for every
combination. And of course, have
fun! Don't get stuck on one or two
ingredients. You can always look at
seasonal produce for inspiration. A
few ideas to get you started:
* Fresh peaches, jalapeños, prosciutto
and ricotta.
* Bacon and nutella >>>>>>>>>>>>>
* Brussels sprouts, pancetta and honey.
* Pear, potato and gorgonzola.
* Guanciale, maple roasted butternut
squash, serrano chilies and
stracciatella.
These all will result in delicious
pairings your customers will enjoy.
Now I'd like to leave you with a recipe
featuring summer peaches and fig. It's
a wonderful combination!
PEACHES AND THE PIG
400 g dough ball
230 g shredded mozzarella
170 g ricotta
1 fresh peach (sliced)
80 g fresh jalapeños (thinly sliced)
6 slices prosciutto
8 basil leaves
Extra virgin olive oil
Stretch out dough ball.
Evenly distribute shredded mozzarella.
Dollop on ricotta.
Evenly distribute fresh peach slices and
jalapeños.
Place in oven and bake until slightly
charred (about 7 minutes, depending on
temperature and oven).
Cut into 6 pieces and add one slice of
prosciutto to each slice of pizza.
Scatter on basil leaves.
Drizzle on extra virgin olive oil.
AUDREY KELLY owns Audrey Jane's
Pizza Garage in Boulder, Colorado.
46 / PIZZATODAY.COM / AUGUST 2021
http://www.PIZZATODAY.COM
Pizza Today - August 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pizza Today - August 2021
