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Journal-News.com

Grilled pizza

Pizza on the grill is one of life's great culinary pleasures. Like tender vegetables, the dough takes on a fire-roasted flavor quite different from baking, even in a wood-fired oven.

But while technically simple, grilled pizza nevertheless is easy to screw up. It is important to follow a few basic guidelines.

First, recognize that cooking pizza on the grill is quite different from baking it in an oven. Don't even think about using a frozen pizza; you will end up with a half-charred, half-frozen mess.

Second, divorce yourself completely from standard pizza preparation, in which raw dough is topped with equally raw ingredients. On the grill, pizzas are assembled as they are cooked.

Let's start with the dough. Don't use anything that comes in a can or that is already baked. Both will cook too quickly and burn long before your cheese has melted.

Making your own is one solution, though it's a lot of work. Most grocers sell raw pizza dough in 1-pound bags.

As for size, it's easiest to make small to medium pizzas. Large pies tend to be difficult to maneuver on the grill.

Next, the toppings. I like to stick with seasonal veggies, so your selection will vary. The basic rule is that you must pregrill any topping that would need to cook for more than several minutes in the oven.

Once all toppings have been cooked or otherwise prepped, the dough is grilled in stages. First grill one side, then flip it, remove it from the grill and add the toppings, and finally return it to the grill and cook the other side.

Start-to-finish time: 30 minutes.

Makes 2 to 4 pizzas

2 red bell peppers, seeded and cut into thick slices
16 asparagus spears, bottoms trimmed
Extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
1 large yellow onion, cut into thick rounds
1 pound raw pizza dough, room temperature
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups pasta sauce
4 cups grated cheese (a mix of mozzarella and Parmesan works well)

Preheat grill to medium-high.

Place the red peppers and asparagus in a large bowl or zip-lock plastic bag. Add several tablespoons of olive oil and salt, to taste. Toss to coat evenly, or seal the bag and shake.

Using kitchen tongs, place the vegetables on the grill. Add the onion slices and brush them with olive oil. Cook until the vegetables are just tender, turning as needed. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Divide the dough into either two or four pieces. Roll out each piece of dough on a lightly floured surface. Brush the top of each pizza with olive oil.

Set pizza dough on the grill, oiled side down, and cook with the grill open until bottom is seared and cooked, about 2 to 3 minutes. Top should still be slightly doughy. Bubbles may form, but these will deflate when the dough is turned.

Remove the dough from the heat and flip so that grilled side faces up. Brush lightly with olive oil and distribute garlic over the pizzas. Spread a thin coat of pasta sauce over, then arrange vegetables and top with cheese.

Return the pizza to the grill, close and cook until the cheese is thoroughly melted and lightly browned in spots. Remove from heat and serve immediately.