Fire up the BBQ, Summer's a coming!

Spring has sprung. Yeah, I know it's May 11th. But around here it only has JUST begun to feel like winter might actually end. It has been unseasonably cold ever since... well, as long as I can remember. The amount of snow still on the ground is much too much for this time of year. The ice in the river hasn't even broken yet. Despite the weather, all the seasonal businesses in our charming little tourist/mining town are starting to open up and the summer people are arriving. They must be in shock. However, it is a happy reminder that it is indeed May! 

My birthday usually falls on Victoria Day weekend, which is a week away. May Long is the weekend that the trees begin to bud. It is also the weekend that many people typically put in their gardens in these parts. I just can't see either of those things happening yet. The weather... an endless topic of conversation... 

Let's get to the point! The good news is summer is on its way. What better way to welcome her than by firing up the BBQ! What have I been craving the most over the past couple months? Pizza. Lucky for me I have a nice ball of goat mozzarella, which I have been zealously hoarding the past week just waiting for the perfect opportunity to consume. How can I rectify the need to BBQ and the need for pizza? EASY! BBQ pizza.

BBQ pizza or grilled pizza is perhaps the most authentic form of Italian pizza you can get without actually having a wood-fired brick pizza oven. Imagine: Crispy, slightly charred thin crust, chewy on the inside. Oh yeah. Don't be intimidated by throwing dough on the grill. It's easy! I've been making this recipe for years and it's always a hit.

Fresh off the Barby!

Grilled Pizza

Serves 4-6

First, make crust:

1. Dissolve 2 ½ tsp. of quick rising yeast in 1 ½ cups of warm water. Give it a little stir. I use my Kitchen Aid stand mixer, with the paddle attachment on a low speed. 
2. As soon as you can see that the yeast is frothy and alive, add 1 1/2 cups of flour and mix in. 
3. Add 1 tsp sea salt and 1 tbsp. olive oil. 
4. Gradually add one more cup of flour. 
5. When your dough starts to get thick, swap out your paddle to the dough hook. Let your machine do the work, gradually adding a bit more flour as needed. 5 minutes or so. 
6. I like to finish my dough by hand, kneading for a couple more minutes on a floured surface. 
7. Form it into a nice ball. 
8. Lightly oil the surface of the dough. Place in a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or a dry towel. 
9. Let rise for an hour while you prepare the toppings. 

The following are your must-have toppings:
Olive oil
Thinly sliced garlic
Grated Mozzarella Cheese
Thinly sliced tomatoes
Sliced bocconcini

You can make a nice simple pizza just like that or you can add other toppings too. Last night I added artichoke pieces and kalamata olives. Other times I have added a bit of meat to the above list, like moose pepperoni. The key is to try and not have too many things going on on your pizza. Remember, you just need a scattering of each ingredient. We are going for Italian pizza, not North American fast food pizza!

Putting it all together:
1) Pre-heat your BBQ to a medium heat.
2) Dump your dough onto a cutting board and cut into 4 or 6 pieces. 
3) Hand stretch your dough. Shape is not important. It’s rustic! You want it to be quite thin though, no more than 5 mm.
4) Brush olive oil liberally on both sides of doughl.  Lay your pieces of dough on a baking sheet. 
5) Place dough on the grill. You may have to do your pizza in batches depending on the size of your BBQ. However, only cook one side of your dough at this point. Grill for about 5 minutes or until bottom begins to golden and is getting grill marks. Rotate dough 90 degrees for grill cross marks.
6) Remove dough from the grill. Put it back on the baking sheet with the cooked side facing up.
7) Add toppings to the grilled side of your pizza. Here’s the order I like:

My fave local beer!

       -lightly brush with olive oil
       -scatter slices of garlic
       -lightly sprinkle with grated mozzarella
       -scatter on tomato 
       -scatter on other toppings 
       -end with slices of fresh mozzarella aka bocconcini
9) Return pizza to the grill. As the bottom of your dough is cooking, the ingredients will heat and the cheese will melt. If the bottom of your crust is crispy but your cheese is not yet melted, you can transfer your pizza to the upper rack until the cheese begins to bubble.
10) Remove from the grill, slide onto a cutting board, chop up into pieces, arrange on serving platter and sprinkle with a basil chiffonade. Serve with a glass of wine or your favourite beer!

A few words on basil:
-Fresh basil is a lovely way to finish off your pizza. Prepare and sprinkle over top just before serving. If you prepare it any sooner, it will wilt.
-Sure you can just chop up your basil but making a chiffonade is equally easy and classes up any dish!  How to make a basil chiffonade:

http://howtocook.casaveneracion.com/how-to-make-basil-chiffonade/

-If you don’t have any fresh basil but you want that basil flavour (as was my situation last night), sprinkle some dry basil over your toppings before your pizza goes back on the grill.

Next post teaser:
So as I mentioned, my birthday is coming up in a week or so. I’m having a party! In discussing the menu with my significant other, he suggested that it might be impossible to have an ethical meal. What?! Sounds like a challenge... and a great opportunity to try out some new recipes!