Did you know that once upon a time in Naples (and I do mean Italia, not Florida) the margarita pizza was created to represent the Italian flag: red, white and green. This classic pie which I can never seem to get enough of was apparently created in order to impress Queen Margherita--and wasn't she lucky!?
When I plan out my pizza menu for an evening of grilling, I almost always put the classic margherita on my list in addition to a couple of other more adventurous pies. I also prefer to cook it first. I'm not sure why, but it always seems right to start simple and familiar.
Ingredients:
1/2 of the prepared dough ball
Dried grits or cornmeal
A box or jar or stewed or chopped tomatoes (Pomi is the best!)
Fresh basil
Fresh mozzarella cheese thinly sliced (how ever much you like)
1-2 garlic cloves minced
A few pinches of sugar
Pepper and salt to taste
*Tip: prepare ALL of your ingredients for the pizza BEFORE putting the dough on the grill. Place them into easily portable containers on a large plate or tray, so that they can be transported and easily accessed during the grilling process.
Sauce Directions: pour the tomatoes into a medium sized bowl. Throw in a few pinches of sugar to sweeten it up, and mix in the minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
Pizza Directions:
STEP 1:
Preheat the grill. Turn the heat up to medium-high on all burners, and close the lid to keep the heat in as you prepare your dough.
STEP 2:
Cover a dry and clean surface in a handful of dried grits or cornmeal. Roll the ball of dough in the grits or cornmeal until it is covered. This will add texture and will make the pizza nice and slippery for pulling on and off the grill.
STEP 3:
Stretch the dough out into a circle, rectangle, oval...whatever you can manage--be flexible because it is often very elastic and springy, and can be challenging to stretch. The pizza will look "rustic" if your shape is weird, so have no fears! Aim for 1/2 an inch thick, or even thinner if possible.
STEP 4:
For the actual grilling steps, it is it is super helpful to have more than one person on the job. Depending on your grill setup, you may need to get creative with lighting as it is very important for you to be able to see clearly for this project. If you are like me, without a light by the grill, you may be lucky enough to find a guy with a headlamp handy. See below.
Use a cutting board to transport the pizza dough over to the grill. Carefully lift the dough using two hands, and stretch it across the middle of the grill. ( I usually have a helper hold onto the cutting board while I do this). Set the cutting board to the side, because you will use it again shortly.
It's okay if the pizza is slightly folded on the grill. That too will look "rustic," trust me. Close the lid!
STEP 5:
Keep the pizza on this side for about 8-10 minutes. Check periodically to make sure that it isn't over cooking, by gently lifting up the corner of the pizza and peeking under. When the pizza has lovely black grill lines, take that bad boy off, and put it on the cutting board.
STEP 6:
Before decorating your pizza, turn the middle of the grill off, so that the pizza will get indirect heat when returned with toppings. Leave the two side burners on.
On a nearby surface, flip the pizza to the side that has already been grilled, so that the grill marks are facing up. Cover it in your homemade tomato sauce, then mozzarella slices, and then the basil.
STEP 7:
Slide the pizza back onto the grill in the middle, and close the lid. Leave it on for 5-7 minutes, or whenever things seem nicely crisped and melted to your liking!
STEP 8:
Fill your hungry belly.
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