Pizza with Duck Bacon, Zucchini, Grape Tomatoes & Smoked Mozzerella

Duck bacon. Two words that have hooked you on this post. If not, why are you reading a food blog?

I’d seen this duck bacon at the grocery store a few times, but had never been able to pull the trigger. My folks were coming for Mother’s Day when I saw it again, however, and I figured company was the perfect excuse to give this seemingly absurd creation a try. Before you get too excited, realize that it isn’t really bacon. It’s smoked duck breast, complete with that signature layer of fat, that’s been smoked and sliced to look kinda like bacon. You cook it the same way as bacon, and it comes out crispy, fatty and very flavorful. At the end of the day, however, it’s not bacon.

After Mother’s Day brunch (I served it with Sweet Potato Waffles), I had a few pieces left over, so I pulled them out of the freezer to add a bit of flair to this pizza, which also included zucchini (my favorite pizza topping), and a mix of Maplebrook Smoked Mozzarella & regular mozzarella. Smoked cheese is wonderful on pizza because it has a strong flavor and thus requires less to add great flavor.

Ingredients:

• 16oz pizza dough (I used Wegman’s Whole Wheat – not my favorite, but convenient)
• Smoked Mozzarella, shredded
• Fresh Mozzarella, shredded (tip: freeze fresh mozz for about an hour to make for easier shredding)
• Tomato Sauce of your choice
• Half a large Zucchini, sliced as thinly as possible
• Handful of grape tomatoes, sliced thinly lengthwise
• 3-4 pieces duck bacon

Refer to my basic pizza technique for detailed cooking instructions. A couple additional notes:

• I brushed the dough lightly with duck fat from the pan, because I’m crazy like that.
• Slicing the veggies ultra thin ensures that they cook thoroughly in the oven. Another option is to briefly saute them before cooking the pie.