Tomato sauce is fine. Smoked Muhammara is better. As a flatbread base it brings sweet roasted pepper, toasted walnut and a quiet thread of smoke, plus enough balsamic tang to stand up to anything you pile on top. And what we pile on top here is shredded duck confit, fried until the edges catch, with tangy goat cheese, red onion and a few more walnuts.
It bakes hot and fast, then gets a heap of lemony arugula and a light drizzle of balsamic glaze the second it comes out of the oven. It’s the kind of thing you’d order at a wine bar, and it’s on the table in under 30 minutes, even faster if you use store-bought confit and naan.
Ingredients
Flatbread
• 1 ball pizza dough, about 450 g (1 lb), or 2 large naan
• ½ cup Fume-eh Smoked Muhammara
• 2 confit duck legs, meat shredded (about 1½ cups)
• ½ small red onion, very thinly sliced
• 100 g (3½ oz) soft goat cheese, crumbled
• 2 tbsp walnut halves, roughly chopped
• Olive oil, for the dough
To finish
• 2 large handfuls baby arugula
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Squeeze of lemon
• 1 to 2 tbsp balsamic glaze
• Flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
1. Heat the oven. Set a pizza stone or heavy baking sheet in the oven and heat to 500°F (260°C) for at least 30 minutes.
2. Crisp the duck. Fry the shredded duck in a dry skillet over medium-high heat for 3 to 4 minutes, until the edges catch and crisp.
3. Shape the dough. Stretch the dough into a rough oval about 5 mm (¼ in) thick on a floured sheet of parchment. Brush the edges with olive oil.
4. Top it. Spread the muhammara over the base, leaving a 2 cm (¾ in) border. Scatter over the duck, red onion, goat cheese and walnuts.
5. Bake. Slide the flatbread, on its parchment, onto the hot stone and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the crust is blistered and golden. Naan needs only 6 to 8 minutes.
6. Finish. Toss the arugula with the olive oil, lemon and a pinch of salt. Pile it over the hot flatbread, drizzle lightly with balsamic glaze and finish with black pepper. Slice and serve straight away.
Chef’s notes
• Go easy on the glaze: The muhammara already carries balsamic, so a light drizzle is all you need.
• No confit?: Use thinly sliced leftover seared duck breast, added after baking so it stays pink.
• Pairing: A chilled Gamay or a dry rosé.
• Allergens: Contains walnuts (tree nuts), wheat and dairy.
Made in small batches in Burnaby, BC, the way we’d want it made for our own table.