I don't have my own grill, and it's rare that I have the wherewithal to cart a whole slew of ingredients over to someone else's house, but being that it was a holiday, I went all out. Assuming that the grilling of the dough would work, I prepared 6 different sets of toppings - because I'm crazy. There was a lot of prep work to this, but only because there were 6 different kinds - if there had only been 1 or 2, it would have been a cinch.
My roommate did all the actual grilling as I hovered and directed. We used Trader Joe's packaged pizza dough for ease - 1 bag of wheat dough and 2 of herb & garlic. Each dough was halved and then shaped to form the 6 pies. Each dough was brushed with olive oil, then placed oil side down on the grill for about 5 minutes. He also brushed the grill itself with plenty of olive oil to prevent sticking, and he says this was vitally important.
Once they were half-cooked and off the grill, I topped the cooked side with the toppings before the pizza was transfered back to the grill. Luckily, with the two upper grill racks, there was room enough for all 6 pizzas to be on at once. We rotated the pizzas around to make sure they all got evenly cooked, and the top was closed for a few minutes to allow the heat to really bake the pizzas.
I was so happy with how these turned out, and they were surprisingly easy to put together. I know this will show up again next summer, and I'll be spreading the love of grilled pizza to whatever barbeques I go to.
Thai pizza with homemade peanut sauce, shrimp, carrots, scallions and mozzarella on wheat dough.
Pizza with caramelized red onions and grilled green pepper with mozzarella on garlic & herb dough.
Mexican pizza with salsa, black beans, shredded chicken, and Mexican-blend cheese on wheat dough.
Margherita pizza with tomatoes, basil and mozzarella on garlic & herb dough.
Greek pizza with tomatoes, feta and olives on garlic & herb dough.
Pizza with brie, green apple and honey on garlic & herb dough.
This is a brilliant idea. (Seen via Tastespotting)
ReplyDeleteThis is so great! I have longed to make grilled pizzas, but alas, don't have a que either. I will keep in mind, when I do try it, your trick of grilling one side, then take it off, and grill the other side with the toppings. Your toppings were varied and inventive as well. I'm sure whoever had the pleasure of being near the party, would really have enjoyed all the flavors. Smart thinkin' on the TJs dough too. Gotta make it easy on yourself when you can. Thanks for the info and posting it on Tastespotting, so I could find it.
ReplyDeletewww.figswithbri.com
Looks like you had a fun Labor Day! What a great idea...maybe you should open up a chain and rival CPK :)
ReplyDeleteThis is awesome. Thanks for posting it! I cook for Old Chicago, and Rock Bottom Restaurants. I'll definately be trying this at the restaurant! Very nice!
ReplyDeleteWhat a wicked fun idea for a party - to provide a variety of grilled crusts and the party attendees bring their own toppings. Outdoor pizza party! Refreshing break from the typical BBQ. Now all I need is a grill...
ReplyDeleteYou're a genius as always.
I'm glad you all enjoyed the post. I'd send you a hot-off-the-grill pizza if I could!
ReplyDeleteI just checked my LibraryThing account for the first time in a couple months and noticed that you posted a comment there, and checked out my blog at caveblogem.wordpress.com. We do have quite a few books and authors in common. I'm looking for something new and could do with some suggestions if you have the time. I typically read everything written by an author I find. Then I have a year or so to wait for them to come out with something new.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, thanks for stopping by. The grilled pizzas look delicious.
This looks like fun - it'd have been more fun if everyone made their own (cut down on all your prep time).
ReplyDeleteThere would be just as much prep time, since everything would have to be ready for people to make their own. But that would be a fun activity for a party...
ReplyDeleteI appreciate all of the information that you have shared. Thank you for the hard work!
ReplyDeleteThe next time you’ve got a party to throw, or are looking for a great dinner experience; come to Justine’s Table and enjoy the best restaurant newton ma, has to offer!
how cool.
ReplyDelete