Hawaiian Pizza (that doesn't suck)

Hawaiian Pizza

Earlier this year, there was an uproar online over putting pineapple on pizza. Personally, I’m against the idea of the original Hawaiian pizza. Canadian bacon and pineapple on top of a traditional pizza made with red sauce and mozzarella is not a properly balanced flavor combination, and is only barely inspired by the favorite ingredients of Hawaii. I’m pretty sure the Greek-Canadian who invented it just had a bunch of pineapple accidentally delivered to the restaurant in a delivery mix-up, and he decided to throw it on top of a pizza with some ham.

As such, I always appreciate a challenge. The wording of the internet conflict was “pineapple does/doesn’t go on pizza.” This left room for interpretation as to whether pineapple as an ingredient belonged on a crust with cheese and prepared ham products. But what if the problem wasn’t so much in that pineapple should never go on pizza, rather, that the original recipe for Hawaiian pizza was flawed and necessitated reimagining?

It was on this principle that I began developing my own take on a pizza that could truly be called a Hawaiian pizza. Also, a version of Hawaiian pizza that might actually taste good.

Without further ado, let’s dive into this recipe!

Ingredients:

Frozen pizza crust
8 strips thick cut bacon, chopped
6-8 oz. fresh pineapple, drained (not canned or frozen, can be pre-cut from produce section)
¼ c. bbq sauce
2 tbsp. tamari or gluten-free soy sauce
1 tbsp. sriracha
Shredded mozzarella
Julienned Spam
Pickled red onion (recipe below)
Frozen kale
Canned mushrooms (if using fresh, hide underneath the cheese to protect from burning)
4 eggs (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven according to frozen crust directions (375° for Udi’s crust). Place can of Spam into freezer to chill for easier slicing. Chop bacon and add to pan over medium-low heat (3.5/10).
While bacon cooks, prepare pizza sauce by combining pineapple, bbq sauce, tamari/soy sauce, and sriracha in blender or food processer and blending smooth.
When bacon is done, remove to plate covered with paper towels to drain. While bacon drains, prepare other toppings. Julienne the Spam, open can of mushrooms, open bag of kale, etc.
Cover crust with sauce. Top evenly with shredded mozzarella. Sprinkle with kale, then mushrooms, Spam, pickled onion, and bacon. Optional: Finish with eggs, cracking each over the pizza and drawing the whites toward the center of the pie. Season with salt and pepper.
Bake 10-12 minutes, or until cheese melts and edges brown.
Cut into 6-8 slices and enjoy!

Some elements of this dish might be considered complicated for a home cook, like using pickled red onions. Thankfully the more involved elements of this dish can be prepared ahead of time. I often pre-cook bacon to have on-hand for sandwiches, salads, or to top homemade pizza. And you can make pickled red onions to have ready to top burgers, smoked salmon, or appetizers. This recipe utilizes flavors specifically for Asian-inspired dishes, so don’t use these onions in a gyro. Make a separate batch with Mediterranean seasonings for that.

Pickled red onions-

Ingredients:

½ c. seasoned rice vinegar
¼ c. water
½ tsp. sugar
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. garlic, minced
¼ tsp. grated ginger
5 black peppercorns
1 star anise
1 red onion, sliced

Directions:

Heat all ingredients except onion in medium sauce pot over medium-high heat (6.5/10).
While brine warms, slice onion by cutting off ends, splitting down the middle, and peeling off outermost layer along with wrapper. Cut into thin half-moon slices.
When brine is simmering, add onion and cook in brine 2 minutes to soften.
Transfer contents of pot to glass container and store in refrigerator.

Ta-da! So that’s how you quick-pickle red onions with an Asian flavor profile. If using whole garlic cloves or ginger root, increase the amount in your recipe to compensate for the reduced surface area.

And that’s my recipe for a Hawaiian pizza to prove that pineapple can go on pizza if it doesn’t also include red sauce. I hope you enjoy this recipe, and take to heart the message that trying new flavors and techniques can be a fun challenge to improve your skills. Please leave your thoughts in a comment below, or get in touch with me directly by filling out the form on the contact page.

Support my GoFundMe to launch my restaurant consultation service!
https://www.gofundme.com/Deglutenizer-Consultation

Hawaiian Pizza (that doesn’t suck)

Jamie

Leave a Reply Cancel reply