Fitzroy’s destination for authentic American pizza, Deep End, is thrilled to announce its collaboration with BBQ aficionados Fancy Hanks. The result? An expertly slow cooked, smoky American BBQ pizza, available from April 10 at Deep End Pizza.
Known for offering three iconic American pizza styles; the New York, Detroit, and Chicago Deep Dish, Deep End’s head chef Paul Kasten said he wanted to add their first chicken pizza to the menu, and so the collaboration came quickly and naturally. “I’d be hard pressed to think of a food as effective as a great pizza at putting a big smile on the face of any guest regardless of age or background. It’s been such a pleasure sharing these flavours I grew up with and I can’t wait to see more of those happy faces in the shop,” says Kastan.
Deep End x Fancy Hanks BBQ Chicken Pizza is completed with Fancy Hanks iconic BBQ sauce, chicken salt, and smoked chicken thigh, sitting alongside toppings of smoked corn, pickled onion, Pipian Verde (traditional sauce from central and south Mexico made of pumpkin seeds, herbs, and spices). Coriander optional.
Luke Eckersall, Fancy Hanks head chef says, “I think the smokiness of the chicken, with the creaminess of the cheese and the beautiful corn flavours there, there’s a little bit of red onion, and the freshness of the coriander make a really balanced pizza experience.”
In its Brunswick Street kitchen, Deep End uses a three-deck PizzaMaster oven. The making of the Deep End x Fancy Hanks BBQ pizza begins with marinating the chicken chops for 24 hours in a smoked brine, before transferring to a smoker with red gum or iron bark wood for four hours.
In terms of the sauce, Paul was drawn to Fancy Hank’s signature ‘Original BBQ’ sauce. The decadent sauce, drizzled by Fancy Hanks lovers for over a decade, is a combination of molasses, black pepper, and tomato, to create the perfect balance. “The balance is really nice. It has a lot of flavour depth you don’t see in commercially available BBQ sauces,” says Kasten.
The perfect balance, the perfect collaboration, Eckersall is excited by the partnership. “I really love the Detroit-Style pizzas that Paul is producing and just thought yeah this collab really makes sense.”
Since its inception in June 2022, Deep End has captivated the hearts and taste buds of pizza enthusiasts with its unwavering commitment to delivering the finest quality, authentic American pizza styles. The success of their venue revolves around three distinct pizza styles; the Detroit deep pan, the Chicago deep dish, and the New York thin crust.
The Deep End x Fancy Hanks BBQ Chicken pizza will be available from April 10 at Deep End Pizza 412a Brunswick Street, Fitzroy. Dine in, pick up takeaway, Uber Eats and Door Dash.
Deep End
412A Brunswick Street
Fitzroy
Images credit: Ryan Kindermann @njordcontent