Today was a lovely day. I don't want to jinx it by saying the word out loud (after all, this is New England) but I think that season that begins with a "su" is slowly approaching. (Yay!) In honor of the upcoming Memorial Day weekend and that approaching season, the Hubs and I wanted to grill outside, but I'd planned to make pizza tonight, so we thought we'd see why not grill the pizza? It took a little practice to get the timing right (dough over a charcoal grill cooks very quickly) but we managed to sort it out and the grilled pizza was a success. We used a multi-grain dough from Whole Foods (Hubs, the resident Dough Master didn't have time today to make our usual dough recipe) and on the grill it turned into a soft, puffy crust; much like I imagine freshly made naan would be. I recommend that everyone tries it, if only because it means that you won't have to turn your oven all the way up in the middle of warm weather.
1 serving of pizza dough
1 medium onion
1/8 prosciutto, thinly sliced
4 tbsp basil, cut into ribbons
2 tbsp all purpose flour
4 tbsp olive oil
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1/2 ounce goat cheese
Slice the onion into half-moon shapes. Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat, add the onions and cook slowly until the onions are soft and have turned slightly golden, approximately 15 minutes. While the onions are cooking, tear the proscuitto into strips and then tear the strips in half. When the onions are softened and have turned slightly sweet remove them from the heat, taking care to leave the excess oil in the pan, and set them aside. Turn the heat up to medium-high and put the proscuitto strips into the pan you took the onions from. Cook the proscuitto, stirring often, until it has turned crisp and is darker. Remove the proscuitto from the heat and set it aside.
Roll the dough out into two rectangles measuring approximately 6 x 10 inches, brush one side with olive oil and set aside. Get the grill hot. When the coals have cooked down slightly (or the gas grill is hot) put the pizza dough onto the grill, oil side down. Cook the dough until bubbles start to form on the side facing up. While the first side cooks, brush the other side lightly with olive oil. Check the dough frequently because it cooks very quickly (about two minutes). Flip the dough and cook it another two minutes.
Then move the dough to the side of the grill (to indirect heat) and put half of the goat cheese and the mozzarella on it. Put the cover on the grill and let it sit for another 2 minutes (or so) until the cheese is melted. Pull the dough from the grill and top it with the onions, proscuitto and basil. Then repeat the process with the other piece of dought. Cut into 6 pieces and serve when slightly cooled. Bon Appetit!
Serves 2 (with left overs for lunch)
1 Additional Thoughts: