It seems like every restaurant and bar these days has “gourmet pizzas” on its menu. Even if those establishments don’t otherwise offer authentic Italian food, pizza always seems to be go-to for food service venues. Why? Because it’s popular!
Your customers know that food isn’t just for fuel and heading to your establishment isn’t just about lunch or dinner. They’re there to connect with friends and family. Pizza is informal; it’s relationship food. You can share and catch up over gourmet pizza more easily than any other kind of meal.
In such a crowded landscape, it’s more important than ever for your own gourmet pizza offerings to stand out and impart a genuine taste of Europe.
Start with a high quality base from Visco and then…
- Step outside prosciutto
- Try more than mozzarella
- Indulge sweet tooths
- Use quality Visco ingredients
Gourmet pizzas – Step outside prosciutto
Prosciutto is one of the most popular woodfired pizza toppings out there and a staple for achieving that true Italian flavour. However, there are more distinctive alternatives to everyone’s favourite cured meat. You can ensure that beautiful, salty taste that customers love stands out even more by making wagyu bresaola the star – where you would otherwise use prosciutto!
As a dried and cured beef (rather than pork), bresaola has an exceptional salty-sweet aroma that’s like a trip to northern Italy for your tastebuds. It pairs wonderfully with leafy greens, like rocket, and Parmigiano Reggiano and customers today recognise ‘wagyu’ on the menu as an indicator of quality.
Gourmet pizzas – Try more than mozzarella
Mozzarella has a home atop almost every pizza, from iconic margherita to rich capricciosa. However, it (and cheese generally) is rarely the star of the meal. You can change that by opting for a more unique cheese that contributes its own character to the pizza.
For a truly special experience, add burrata as a centrepiece to one of your pizzas. Simply add a large spoon of burrata to a woodfired pizza that’s fresh out of the oven for a warm, smooth and decadent touch. Pre-slice the pizza as normal, but let the customer be the one to cut into the burrata. The contrasting textures of a smooth, mozzarella-like shell with a creamy centre can create an unforgettable moment when your customers slice into it. It’s like a cheesy soft-boiled egg!
Gourmet pizzas – Indulge sweet tooths
Expanding your pizza options can also boost your dessert menu profile. Pizza is so versatile that you can look no further than adding authentic Belgian chocolate to meet your customers’ sugar cravings.
High quality mascarpone can act as a sweet ‘base sauce’, in place of a savoury tomato base. Alternatively, use melted chocolate drops as the base and sprinkle ricotta on top – as you otherwise would with mozzarella. These flavours pair excellently with fruit (like strawberry and banana) and nuts (like pistachio).
Gourmet pizzas – Use quality Visco ingredients
Sometimes you don’t need to reinvent the wheel, you just need to do it better than anyone else! Making sure that you’re using only the finest quality ingredients, produced the authentic way, can truly elevate your flavours over the competition.
Visco’s Val d’Elsa range features superior marinated olives, anchovies and even baby octopus – to really set your pescatore pizza offering apart. While all Val d’Elsa ingredients are made locally in Brisbane, they’re infused with the spirit of Toscana. They’re prepared using only traditional methods and the finest produce. Customers will taste the difference in your pizzas!
Ready to enhance your pizza menu with flavours that keep customers coming back? Get in touch with Visco to order today.