braised fennel & pork & fennel sausage pizza

Hello on another soggy spring morning in Auckland. It is 1 minute to 6am and I have been awake for an hour, stressing over the details of a shoot today, stupid really, there is not much I can do right now! The whole process of creating is such a tricky business – I find the recipe development the easiest part, probably because I have been cooking since I was about 13 years old, so it is something I have been passionate about, and working on for a long time. The styling is a very weird aspect, as what I think looks good might look like bollocks to someone else, and while I am angsting over something I feel doesn’t look quite right, others may not see a problem. Taste and style is a bloody mire of opinion. Then there is the photography, which has both style and technical components, so much so that when flicking through my favourite food magazines, I can always identify the photographer of a spread by the look and feel of it. I have been toiling away at my photography for about four years now, and whilst I know can always achieve an acceptable result, I still beat myself up in pursuit of the perfection of my food photography idols.

…so back to the food – this pizza is frigging delicious. The fennel is braised in wine and olive oil with a little garlic for grunt and some lemon zest for a bit of zing – the result is gently sweet and soft. Paired with melted cheese, a crisp pizza base and good quality pork and fennel sausage the result is a brilliant combination of soft, smooth, crunchy and sweet – then with a sprinkling of chilli flakes for heat and some fennel fronds for a final fresh finish, you have my current favourite wet-night-in-Auckland dinner. Enjoy the rest of your week…less rambling next time, promise! 🙂

1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes