16 August 2023 , 15:00
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When it comes to pizza toppings, I'm not a plain Margherita person (I can hear all you Margherita lovers arguing that they aren't boring), but I always go for some sort of meaty option - like pepperoni. But when I heard that Franco Manca had launched a pizza with sardines on it, I was incredibly intrigued to try it.
As someone who has never had any type of fish on a pizza, I was shocked to hear about this controversial topping choice, although I'm told it is authentically Sicilian. The sourdough pizza specialist, which opened its first restaurant in London's Brixton Market in 2008, has brought out the limited edition No. 15 pizza to celebrate its 15th birthday. Created by Franco Manca co-founder Giuseppe Mascoli, the No. 15 pizza pays homage to the brand's "traditional Neapolitan roots and its philosophy of using simple, high-quality ingredients".
I was invited to Franca Manca's Canary Wharf branch on launch day, where they had only sold four of the pizzas so far, to try it out. Apart from the Galacian sardines, the pizza itself sounds quite straightforward - organic tomato, wilted spinach, fresh chillies, roasted garlic with herbs, Kalamata black olives, capers from Salina, breadcrumbs and lemon.
The pizza is packed with toppings (Ariane Sohrabi-Shiraz)
It looks really fresh (Ariane Sohrabi-Shiraz)Now I'm not the biggest sardine fan, but the salty fish doesn't offend me. I don't think it tastes bad but I don't eat it often, so I was intrigued to find out how it would fare on a pizza. When the pizza arrived on the table I was hit by a distinctly fishy smell. When it was put down in front of me, I was surprised to see seven whole sardines (without the heads) scattered on the pizza. I don't know why, but I presumed it would be flakes of sardine.
Once I got over the initial shock of seeing small fish on my pizza - I was seriously confused by another really controversial decision. No cheese. A pizza with no cheese? Maybe sardines and cheese aren't a normal combo - but in my opinion, cheese makes everything better.
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The fish itself wasn't overpowering, but did have a mild but fishy flavour - and I was surprised by how meaty and tender it was. I was also glad to not feel the crunch of any bones from the whole sardines lining the pizza.
I was surprised at the lack of cheese (Ariane Sohrabi-Shiraz)I felt like it did complement the rest of the ingredients, especially the salty and delicious olives and garlic - and the chillies packed a serious punch when I got a mouthful. The breadcrumbs were also a nice addition. It definitely tastes fresh, and with an Aperol Spritz in hand, it feels right.
But all in all, I don't think fish pizza has won me over. I definitely prefer pepperoni or other meaty toppings like ham or bacon. Although the flavour of the sardines is nice, there's a lot going on, and the salty, fishy flavour paired with the pizza dough is too strange a combination. That being said, I think if I was a bigger fan of sardines in the first place, it might be a different story.
For now, I'll be sticking to my favourite toppings - but if you want to try out a pizza with a topping that is actually good for you, in terms of omega-3, vitamins, calcium and minerals, I'd say definitely give it a go. The No. 15 will feature in Franco Manca restaurants across the UK for two weeks, giving diners plenty of time to try it for themselves at their local pizzeria.
If you end up trying it, let us know what you think in the comment section below.