Bacon, banana and chilli pizza

I may never be allowed back into Italy after this...

A great many years ago, when I was living in Brisbane, I'd sometimes get pizza from the Kookaburra Cafe. You must understand, it was the mid-90s, when "innovative" and "fusion" pizza toppings were really taking off. You could hardly move for kangaroo, Peking duck or Mexican chilli pizzas. So after looking at it sideways a few times, I eventually gave their famous (and still on their menu) bacon, banana and chilli pizza a go. It was delicious.

I'm not sure why, but that unlikely-sounding combination has come up in conversation a couple of times recently. I thought it was probably time to revisit it. I know my palate has changed on a few things in the last twenty years (rarer meat, enjoyment of whisky, greater appreciation of proper Italian pizzas) so there was a chance I wouldn't find it as enjoyable as I did then. Putting it in front of Paul was going to be the big challenge though - he's not a fan of meat with fruit. I made a bacon and mushroom pizza as well, so he couldn't whinge too much.

I started with a bought base. I smeared it with slightly too much chipotle paste, then topped it with smoked streaky bacon, slices of quite firm banana and mozzarella. I added a sprinkle of grated parmesan and put it in a hot oven for 10 minutes.

Other than it being a little too hot from the chilli (next time I'd mix the chilli with a little olive oil) it was just as good as I remembered. The salty, smoky bacon, sweet banana and creamy cheese are just delicious with the bite of the chilli. Paul, however, declared that it "was a bit odd", and was grateful for the bacon and mushroom pizza that followed. Maybe it is a taste best developed in your twenties? This one is definitely going to be kept as a private pleasure.