Hello Pizza Friends,
A few weeks ago I attended a graduation party catered by a wood-fired pizza truck (Classic Crust for any of you locals). Just as I arrived at the pizza counter, the guy manning the oven shimmied a freshly baked pie onto a serving platter. As he drizzled what I learned to be dilly ranch dressing over the top, he said: “This is our Wickles Pickles pizza. It’s our most popular.”
I was intrigued for a few reasons, namely because I had heard about pickles on pizza for years but had yet to experience them in this format. And I was excited because I love the Wickles Pickles brand, particularly the relish, which is a staple in my pantry for tuna and chicken salad — truly, if I have fewer than 6 jars on hand, I feel anxious.
No surprise, I absolutely loved the pizza. Wickles Pickles are both sweet and spicy and, like all pickles, offer an acidic brightness. When combined with the salty bacon and the creamy dilly ranch, well, it all just works.
When I first heard about pickles as a pizza topping, I remember thinking: Why?
But if you think about it, classic cucumber pickles are no different than any pickled vegetable, and pickled vegetables on pizza make so much sense — as noted, they bring an acidic bite, a welcomed counterpoint to the rich cheese and fatty meats so often blanketing our pies.
And if you continue to think about, pickles are all over our pizzas: Chicago-style giardiniera, a mix of pickled and marinated carrots, cauliflower, and peppers, is traditionally paired with sausage on tavern-style pizza. Pickled jalapeños are often combined with pepperoni. I love pickled banana peppers with sausage on a breakfast pizzas. This spring, I discovered the wonders of pickled cherries on a white pizza with pistachios, honey, and arugula.
And let’s not forget: olives! They’re pickles! (Right?)
I attempted to make the Wickles Pickles pizza at home…
… and while it was good, it could be better. I will share the recipe once I get it right.
I did make a dilly ranch dressing, a variation of the Herby Ranch Dressing in Pizza Night, to serve alongside the pizza, and that was a hit with my family, particularly with my son, who doesn’t always love the sharp salad dressings I make. I’ve shared that recipe below.
Friends, pickles on pizza, yea or nay? Please share your thoughts below.
Also, tomorrow we head to Lake George for the week with my family. I do not have a post lined up for next Friday, though I am excited about a new slice shop in Bolton Landing, and I have long wanted to put together a master list of pizza-making tools and ingredients, so I may report from the road after all. If I don’t, I’ll see you in two weeks!
The Recipe: Dilly Ranch Dressing
This dressing is inspired by the one served with the summer wedge salad at Next Door Kitchen and Bar in Ballston Spa. I wrote about the restaurant and included the recipe, which the owner kindly shared with me, in Pizza Night.
For this dilly variation of the dressing, I omitted the parsley and used twice as much dill as originally called for.
Virtual Cooking Class
On Thursday, August 1st from 6-7:15 pm, I’ll be teaching a virtual cooking class on Sicilian and Grandma-style pizzas. I’ll be making three recipes from Pizza Night. This class is part of Milk Street’s summer pizza series, which includes classes taught by Peter Reinhart and J. Kenji Lopez-Alt.
Use PIZZANIGHT15 for 15% off my class.
Love pizza and salad? Find recipes, tips, and tricks in Pizza Night 🍕🍕🥗🥗
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I'm desperate to try this - I recently discovered a hot & sweet pickle relish (the brand is vadasz) which is amazing on burgers and I think would work really well for this idea too.
I live in Bahrain (small country in the Middle East). I have fallen in love with Shawarma pizza which has pickles. It's so good! I'm trying to recreate it at home for when we return to the US in another year.