When I was at Brew Dog in Berlin with a friend of mine, we were talking about crazy pizza combinations. Brew Dog had a fantastic menu full of unexpected options and toppings – sending me into inspiration overload. But they were missing one that Becky mentioned – fig and pig. As a matter of fact, I had been missing this too.

Fig and pig = figs and prosciutto or jamone serrano. I’ve heard this is a lethal pizza combination, and I’d kept my eyes peeled for it on menus ever since, but no luck. So, why not just make it and see if it lives up to the hype? Figs are new to me and not in great abundance at my average grocery store in Virginia, but here in Spain, they’re huge. Unfortunately, the season has just passed for the fresh stuff, but the fig jams and preserves are in just about every market.

I picked up a jar and fell in love with the flavor. Going this route – using preserves rather than the fresh fruit itself – means it will be on the sweeter side, but with jamone serrano or prosciutto, being saltier than most forms of pork, the balance is perfect! Still, I add a bit of salt and freshly cracked pepper on top to counter the sugar in the preserves. Just wait until you see how deliciously the sugars caramelize under heat in the oven.

I found that the flavors could still be elevated with another couple of components so I tested the pizza with goat cheese and brie to go along with the mozzarella – ultimately ruling that brie was the right choice. It’s reminiscent of the ‘fancy’ baked brie with fig dish, but come on – it’s on a pizza and essentially has bacon in the mix. Which would you choose?

Lastly, I wanted to add an herb to accent the cheeses, so I went with thyme. I don’t typically like to use whole chunks of herbs aside from garnishing. Getting a mouthful of a strong cilantro or rosemary can sometimes ruin a perfectly good bite. So here, I infused some olive oil with dried thyme and drizzled it on at the end.

This recipe is so easy, anyone can make it. You just need the right ingredients. I don’t even make my own crust for this one. It’s a simple crowd pleaser that you just don’t see every day, so I wanted to start off with an undemanding version of this for the adventurous pizza lover. If you try it, be sure to tell me how it goes! I love to get others’ thoughts on less traditional flavor combinations! But if you’re a fiend for salty and sweet, this is for you.

Fig and Pig Pizza

Prep time:5 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Total time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 13.8 oz pizza dough
• mozzarella, shaved or sliced thin
• 7 oz brie, sliced thin
• 4 oz prosciutto, shredded or chopped
• 1 fl. oz. extra virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• ½ cup fig preserves
• salt
• freshly cracked pepper

Instructions

• Precook your pizza dough according to the instructions. I don’t have the luxury of a stone here with me in Spain (that was definitely too heavy to fit in my suitcase!), so I use a parchment-lined sheet pan to bake the pizza on.
• Spread the mozzarella and jamone, alternating so there is some overlap with the ingredients.
• Drop small dollops (approximately one tablespoon each) of the fig jam across the pizza.
• Scatter sliced brie across the pizza. Sprinkle some freshly cracked pepper over the pizza.
• Cook at 400 F for 15 minutes or until crust is golden brown.
• While the pizza is cooking, bring olive oil and thyme to a simmer over medium heat for 2 minutes. Strain the oil and discard the thyme.
• Drizzle on top of the pizza once it is finished cooking.

Notes

• A balsamic reduction compliments these flavors quite well. Add an extra drizzle on top of the pizza at the end of cooking time, if desired.
• If you don’t have a strainer, fold a paper towel into quarters and rest on top of a heat-safe cup. Slowly stream the oil directly onto the paper towel until all that is left on the towel is the thyme. Discard.