With the purchase of a new BBQ any one's imagination will begin to run wild with ideas of new things to try on the grill. Although this isn't the first time I've done pizza on the grill, it is the first time doing it on a gas BBQ, specifically my new Weber Genesis EP -320. YES, Weber is the best - just forget all the rest. You may pay a little more, but quality and durability are priceless. Ah but enough of my new toy here's how to make that awesome pizza I have pictured.
MEDITERRANEAN SNOW CRAB PIZZA
Ingredients:
pizza dough
4 medium size yukon potatoes thinly sliced
crab meat
swiss and mozzarella cheeses
fresh rosemary sprigs
black olives (sliced lengthwise)
crushed red pepper
fresh garlic (roughly chopped)
Preparation: Get all your ingredients ready olives, cheese, crab etc. so you're ready to go when the crust is.
Lay the sliced potatoes on a greased baking sheet and bake in the oven, flip them over halfway through.
The Dough :
Making your own is the best, but to save time buy ready made bread dough or foccacia. Use cornmeal or polenta to dust your work space and roll and roughly press it out into a square. Lightly brush the top with olive oil. Flip it over and oil the other side. Be generous with the corn meal to keep it from sticking plus the oil will help the corn meal stick better on the dough. Slide it on to a rimless baking sheet or pizza paddle. Now your ready to preheat the grill.
Light the BBQ and turn all the burners to high for about 10 min. and close the lid until the temp. reaches aprrox. 500 degrees. While it's heating up you can get your toppings ready. Turn the heat down to medium and slide the dough onto the grill and close the lid. At this point you are really just toasting the one side to get some grill marks then you pull it off. It doesn't take very long but resist the urge to peek. Check it after 3 min. or so and you'll know how fast it's cooking.
Once it looks good, pull it off and flip it over and your ready to assemble.
Baking:
Topping the pizza begins with sauce, then some cheese, your toppings, then a little more cheese.
Lightly spread the alfredo sauce over the pizza to about 1" from the edges. Sprinkle some of the cheese mixture on, then arrange the potato slices, crab meat, olives and whatever else you wish. I like to add some crushed red pepper at this point and some fresh chopped garlic if you're brave.
Sprinkle a bit more cheese and rosemary sprigs on top and it's ready for the grill again.
(When "building" your pie, keep in mind that sometimes less is more, so try not to overload it with mounds of cheese and toppings. You want to be able to taste the crust which is the foundation of the pizza itself.)
Now take it to the BBQ, still at medium, and slide it off onto the hot grill. If you have a 3 burner set up, turn the middle one to low or off. Close the lid and bake until the bottom is browned the way you like and cheese is melted - about 10 -12 minutes. Keep an eye on it! After all this work you sure don't want to burn it.
When it's done, let it rest a minute or two before slicing it up. Grab yourself your favorite beverage and enjoy some of the best pizza to ever hit your lips. Eat your heart out Round Table!
