Last nights Sicilian... Which happened to be one of the best pizzas I have ever made! We both knew right away this was a chart topper... Which is harder to do these days because they are all so good usually, but this was certainly next level on all fronts.
It was a 3-day fermented dough, topped with freshly grated mozzarella, a little provolone and asiago for a bit of sharpness. Topping wise, it was cherry peppers, banana peppers, freshly made pickled red onions and my fennel sausage (pork, fennel seed, garlic, onion, smoked paprika, oregano, italian seasoning, chili flakes, salt and pepper). Then a bit of freshly chopped garlic was scattered across the entire pizza.
The sauce was then spooned on evenly, which was the star of the show. My local grocer started pulling in their own label DOP San Marzanos, so I had to try them out... They are super bright in flavor, really great acidity. So I ended up doing a light crush on those with about a tbsp of calabrian oregano and a tsp of dried basil, with a pinch of salt.
Out of the oven it cooled for a few minutes before being topped with arugula and a dusting of parmesan cheese.
The flavors were in just perfect harmony here. The dough, cheese and sausage lay that salty, umami filled base... Then the pickled veggies brighten everything up along with the tomatoes. But the combo of the garlic and spicy/peppery arugula brought it all together with that fresh pop at the end, which was the real star here!
OK, picture time...!