Pizza Party Pizza... Walnut, Goat Cheese, and Honey Pizza on the Grill

Pizzeria Pizza at Home...

A goal of mine (and an earlier blog post, double click the blue letters).  In that post I go into details about the best way to achieve the goal of a making a seemingly simple flat bread, topped with a sauce and cheese.  I have a never fail yeast pizza dough recipe, a deliciously fresh rich pizza sauce (from scratch) and a bit of history.

Once you learn the tricks of the trade, Pizzeria Pizza at home is simple and addictive.  My dough recipe makes 4 dough balls, so each time I make pizza I have 4 canvasses to create.  Generally I make a pizza Margherita (pictured to the right, sauce, cheese and basil).  The Margherita is recognized by many as the first and original version of the modern pizza.


BUT WAIT...

How would you like to be ... THAT GUY (or Gal) That can (and regularly does) do amazing things on a grill...

A Couple of weeks ago I went into detail on GRILLING a pizza on a standard backyard grill.  Easy, Fun, Spectacular.

This week was a bit of a celebration in the 'hood as our friend and neighbor celebrated the anniversary of her 29th Birthday!  Neighbor Jackie (as opposed to my wife Jackie, her with the inconvenient Day Job) and wife Jackie are part of the neighborhood book club.  The girls of the club decided that a dinner out, multi courses, cooked to perfection and served with style would be a perfect way to celebrate.  They also decided best spot in town was my back yard!

This pizza was what I served up as an appetizer for the group.  I decided I wanted to celebrate spring (finally) and grill the entire meal.  You can see the spiral stuffed pork loin in the back, resting while I cooked the appetizer pizza.

I will share the details of the pizza in a second... First, photos of the party...

Gotta have a drink table... Southern Sweet Tea, Wine and Margaritas

My wife Jackie (as opposed to neighbor Jackie) worked hard at making the table pretty for her friends... Notice the wrapped books for a center piece...

We even got out the good crystal for the party

And a good time was had by all...

I will be giving recipes and details about the 5 course meal served in future post this week... so now, back to the appetizer first course...

Goat Cheese, Honey and  Walnut Pizza on the Grill

And once you know the tricks, easy as could be...

Easy like taking a ball of dough, hand form the shape (always rustic on the grill, never a perfect circle, part of the charm), Grill the dough, add toppings and create something unusual and FANTASTIC!

This makes a great appetizer, side dish or main course....  And it is a real crowd pleaser!

Oh... And it is beyond easy...
Anyone can do this...   Anyone can be that GUY (or Gal) on the grill!

All you need for this...

1 Ball of Pizza Dough
drizzle of Olive Oil
4 OZ Goat Cheese broken up into small balls
1 Cup Walnut Pieces
Drizzle of Honey
Slivered slices of Basil for color and accent

The rest is all technique.  Read over the post on Pizzeria Pizza at Home, then try this...

Start with a Ball of Dough.  It's the same recipe I almost always use.  Cold rise, easy and never fail (does take about 4 hours of sitting around (or overnight) to make the dough, so plan ahead).  Or any store bought pizza dough would work as well.

Next is the only real trick... HOT!  Get your grill HOT.  If using coals, preheat the grill for at least 20-30 minutes or set your gas grill, all burners running on high for at least 10 minutes.

OK, The photo directly above is the dough after I formed a sort of circle.  Tossing in the air is not really how it's done, flattening between your two palms and then stretching along the edges all the way around, allowing gravity to pull down.  Once you get it evenly thin, slap it on the HOT grate.

It only takes about 3-4 minutes for the dough to start to bubble.  use a wide turner or tongs and test the doneness.

The bottom will be starting to crisp up...

And get grill marks.

Since it has started to crisp, the soft dough has started to cook and turn solid.  Easy to turn.  Since the grill grate was hot, it never sticks.

Time for toppings...

No sauce for this, so drizzle a bit of Olive Oil.

Since this is HOT, don't worry, the cheese will melt.  So, spread the handful of cheese around

Again, no design, stick with the rustic look.

Add the walnuts

And at the last minute... drizzle the honey and spread around the basil

And that's it!

Close the lid and let everything get really HOT for only another couple of minutes...  And here you are!

But as with most recipes, the basics can be learned in minutes; mastering the art will take a lifetime (or at least 52 tries).  You can achieve success with my Pizzeria 101 Link, a cookie sheet, standard oven and items in most every kitchen.  But... eventually you will want to try the toys of the trade  So if you want to dig deeper, I recommend these books and items...

Enjoy your Pizza making... Let me know what pizzas you are making and be sure to come take a look next Sunday to see what I come up with this week!

This is Pizza #6 in my list of 52 Pizza Party Pizzas...

Week #1 ...

A simple Salami Pizza (break free of the addiction to Pepperoni).  A classic example of the Italian belief that less is more... Allow a quality ingredient like the artisanal Dry cured sausage, the sauce and the cheese balance beautifully!

This Sausage pizza is Pizza #2 in my list of 52 Pizza Party Pizzas...

I made a fantastic HOT Sausage Pizza... Made with mini balls of sausage (there is a small trick) that also looks as dramatic as it is tasty!

Week #3

I was on the grill making a dessert or Appetizer FANTASTIC Honey - Goat Cheese - Arugula Pizza... Delicious and PERFECT if you want to WOW your friends with something unique on the GRILL!

Week #4

A Pizza from my youth, the (then) exotic sounding Canadian Bacon and Onion GRILLED pizza!  Loaded with color and the unique taste of the sweet juicy back bacon that became a legend back in Pekin, Illinois in the 70's.

Week #5

A fond memory of our time living in the islands... US Virgin Island, St Thomas had a fantastic little beach bar where you could get a Steak and Gorgonzola Pizza (and a bottle of wine) for just $25... one of the few bargains on the island and a darn fine PIZZA!



OK, be sure to come back next Sunday... I already have plans for next weeks' Za!

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So,  I am pleased to list this as one of my Growing list of  "52 Grilling Time Secret Extras" or "52 Ways to Cook BBQ and Grilling Recipes"!!!

Well over 52 recipes actually as I just can't stop... Over 100 in one grilling season (I love to grill!). But not just leat... Drinks, Condiments (LOTS of different BBQ sauces), Drinks, Desserts... even specialty items like GRILLED Pizza, and fun shaped Watermelons.  Easy and these ideas will make you the MASTER of your Backyard Domain!

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So,  I am pleased to list this as one of my Growing list of  "52 Appetizers Recipes"!!!

From Dips and Salsas to everyone's favorite, Deviled Eggs; Appetizers will set the mood for something special. And make enough different ones and you have a Tapas Meal!

Links include Dips (Take a Look at the WORLD's BEST Guacamole recipe (and world's easiest to make), Salsas, Grilled Bites, Watermelon Art, and of course something with a spectacular presentation and taste... Take a look, something to match any occasion...

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