Do you have a grill? Do you love pizza? Then look no further for an easy technique that will result in delicious homemade pizza hot off your grill. If you don't have a grill, fear not -- this recipe can also be prepared in a hot oven.
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I grill pizzas all year, no matter the weather. It keeps the heat outside on a warm day, gives me an excuse to fire up the grill on a cold day and consistently results in crispy-charred homemade pizza, which is the next best thing to having my own pizza oven.
The easiest method to grill pizza, in my opinion, is to use a pizza stone. Just preheat the stone over direct heat while the grill fires up, and go about preparing your pizza. (If you are using an oven, simply preheat your oven and pizza stone to 500 degrees.) You can roll your pizza out on a piece of parchment paper, which you can slide on and off the stone (I use a rimless baking sheet to slide under the paper), or use a pizza peel. When the grill is nice and hot, slide the pizza onto the stone. Close the grill and cook the pizza until the crust is golden brown and charred in spots, the cheese is melted and bubbly, and the toppings are cooked to your desired doneness, about 15 minutes.
This was the pizza I made over the weekend after a trip to the farmers' market. I often make white pizza, which is without tomato sauce, and brush it with garlic oil before layering cheese and fresh veggies on top. It was a hit with the whole family and great way to get everyone to eat their vegetables.
Grilled Pizza With Baby Kale, Broccolini and Chiles
I make one large pizza to fit on large rectangular pizza stone. If you have a small round pizza stone, you can divide this recipe in half and make 2 small pizzas.
Makes 1 large (approximately 10-by-13-inch) pizza
1 pound prepared pizza dough, homemade or store-bought
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon crushed red chili flakes
6 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced
1 cup finely grated Pecorino Romano cheese
8 ounces broccolini, stalks trimmed and reserved for another use, florets coarsely chopped
2 cups baby kale leaves (or spinach)
1 red jalapeno pepper, stemmed and seeded, finely chopped
Freshly ground black pepper
1. Prepare the grill for direct cooking over high heat (or preheat your oven to 500 degrees) and preheat a pizza stone for at least 10 minutes.
2. Roll or stretch out the dough to fit the size of the pizza stone. Lay the dough on a piece of parchment, if desired, and trim the parchment to fit the contours of the pizza.
3. Whisk the oil, garlic and salt in a small bowl. Brush the crust with some of the oil and sprinkle with the chili flakes. Spread half of the mozzarella and half of the Pecorino over the crust, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Scatter the broccolini over the cheese and top with the kale and sliced chile pepper. Scatter the remaining mozzarella and Pecorino on top.
4. Slide the pizza onto the pizza stone. Close the grill and cook until the crust is golden and the cheese is melted, 13 to 15 minutes. Remove the pizza from the grill and transfer to a cutting board. Brush the crust with some of the oil and drizzle the remaining oil over the pizza. Season with black pepper. Cut into serving pieces and serve immediately.
CAPTIONS AND CREDITS
Caption 01: Photo by Lynda Balslev for TasteFood.