The Unexpected Canned Topping For Creamy, Salty Pizza Slices

We've all seen the arguments for and against controversial pizza toppings (Gordon Ramsay swears he would never order pineapple on pizza), and it seems there are two distinct camps: Cheese and pepperoni, or the camp that says, "What can't I put on this pizza?" If you tend to walk on the wild side and love experimenting with pizza toppings, how about trying some canned pâté?

Pâté (essentially a culinary paste) comes in many forms. Most people think of the strictly French-style liver pâté that was trending hard at cocktail parties in the 1970s and '80s. It was blended with some cognac and brandy and served alongside crostini. It's still a delicious addition to a charcuterie board, but there are many other types of pâté that would make great add-ons to pizza. 

Meat pâté can comprise pork, veal, venison, and even rabbit. More appealing to the American palate is pâté made with duck liver (foie gras, in most cases) and chicken liver. Pâté de poisson is made with fish and usually blended with cream and herbs. Because of the wide variety of ingredients, pâté can work on any pizza with complementary flavor profiles, and the savory, salty, and often briny accents in pâté can be a subtle addition to an already favored pie. Canned pâté has come a long way, and you can find French-style pâté, like this Pork Pâté de Campagne, for about $5.

Pâté as a topping deserves some good partnership. Most pork-based pâté, for instance, matches really well with anything you would pair with pepperoni or sausage. A coarser, less creamy pâté like Pork Pâté de Campagne works great as a sausage substitute and can be crumbled as a topping paired with onion, peppers, and mushrooms for a more traditional take. Replicate your favorite barbecue chicken pizza recipe by topping thin-crust dough with sweet barbecue sauce, red onion, and sliced jalapeño. Like your pie slices to have some more variety? Give your pizza an upgrade with the gourmet combination of pork pâté, figs, fresh parmesan cheese, and fresh arugula — a delicious take on a fig and prosciutto pizza.

Fish pâtés offer a more subtle topping option. Because fish is more delicate, you can switch out the pizza dough with flatbread for a lighter combination of textures. Chef Wolfgang Puck first put smoked salmon pizza on the map at his Los Angeles restaurant Spago, and you can trade out the flaked salmon for smoked salmon pâté, like this one from Tony's. Chef Puck combines the salmon with crème fraîche (a more intricate ingredient than cream cheese) and caviar (a good sushi roe would do in a pinch). Try some pork pâté (in lieu of Canadian bacon) and pineapple. We doubt you'll get the thumbs-up from Gordon Ramsay, but it sounds delicious.