Few foods can match the worldwide popularity of flatbreads, common almost everywhere as snacks or hearty components of a full meal. In the United States we’ve adopted pizza and tortillas as our favorite flatbreads, but there are many alternatives around the globe that have similar appeal. Most developed as quick griddle, grill, or wood-oven breads, often cooked outside, so they adapt to the American home grill with enticing ease.
Pizzas and all their cousins make great party food, too, whether you serve them as appetizers, main courses, or accompaniments. They taste wonderful grilled, and the cooking is convivial and often dazzling to watch. In many cases, particularly with pizzas, guests can participate in the preparation, choosing among assorted toppings to create a masterpiece made just for them. Everyone relishes that kind of freedom and fun, and all the credit goes to you.
Grilling a pizza provides a result as close as you can usually get at home to the high-fire cooking process of a professional wood-burning pizza oven. We learned our technique, which is easier than it sounds at first, from George Germon and Johanne Killeen of the Al Forno restaurant in Providence, Rhode Island. These and other grilled pizzas taste best, and are simplest to maneuver and eat, when you go relatively light on the toppings, as we do here.
COOKING METHOD | GRILLING
Makes two 11-inch pizzas, enough for 4 or more main-dish servings
2 to 3 red-ripe plum tomatoes
2 teaspoons flavorful olive oil
¼ teaspoon coarse salt, either kosher or sea salt
¾ cup grated mozzarella cheese
½ cup grated fontina cheese
¼ cup grated Parmesan or pecorino Romano cheese
¼ cup lightly packed torn fresh basil
2 pinches of hot red pepper flakes, optional
Pizza Dough Number One or Two (page 136 or 137), formed into 2 crusts
Fire up the grill for a two-level fire capable of cooking at the same time on both high heat (1 to 2 seconds with the hand test) and medium-low heat (6 seconds with the hand test).
Halve the tomatoes lengthwise and then squeeze out the liquid, which would make the pizza soggy. Dice the tomatoes, then toss with the oil and salt in a small bowl. Stir together the mozzarella, fontina, Parmesan, basil, and hot pepper, if desired, in another bowl.
Place the 2 bowls of toppings within easy reach of the grill. The process goes quickly once you begin cooking. Have a baking sheet near the grill on a convenient work surface and have a large spatula or pizza peel handy.
Transfer the first crust to the grill, laying it directly on the cooking grate. Grill uncovered over high heat for 1 to 1½ minutes, until the crust becomes firm yet is still flexible. Don’t worry about any bubbles that form on the crust; they will be flattened when you turn over the crust in the next step.
Flip the crust onto the baking sheet cooked side up. Immediately spoon on half of the tomato mixture and sprinkle with half of the cheeses. Quickly return the pizza to the grill (without the baking sheet), uncooked side down. Arrange the pie so that half of it is over high heat and the other half is over medium-low. Cook the pizza for another 3 to 5 minutes, rotating it in quarter turns about every 30 to 45 seconds. This may sound awkward but becomes second nature very quickly. Using the spatula, check the bottom during the last minute or two, rotating a bit faster or slower if needed to get a uniformly brown, crisp crust.
Slice the pizza into wedges and serve immediately. Repeat the process for your second pizza.
Supper with the Kids
Pizza with Three Cheeses and a choice ol additional toppings
The Big Crudité Basket (page 88) or a big green salad
Rainbow Fruit Parfaits (page 502)
Pizza with Three Cheeses and Spicy Sausage Grill a couple of hot Italian sausage links before grilling the pizza. Use a two-level fire, cooking the sausages over high heat first for 4 to 5 minutes, rolling them on all sides, and then finishing over medium heat, about 14 to 18 minutes more. Slice the sausages into thin rounds and add them to the pizzas before the tomato and cheese.
Pizza with Three Cheeses, Sausage, and Lots Of Fennel Grill 1 small sliced fennel bulb and a couple of sweet or hot Italian sausage links (as in the previous variation). Slice the sausages into thin rounds and add them and the fennel to the pizzas before the tomato and cheese. After the cheeses go on, scatter a few fennel seeds over the top.
Pizza with Three Cheeses and Wild Mushrooms Sauté about 6 ounces sliced fresh porcini or other wild mushrooms with about ½ teaspoon crumbled dried rosemary in olive oil or butter until soft. If you have no source for fresh wild mushrooms, look instead for frozen porcini or opt for button mushrooms. Reconstituted dried mushrooms don’t work here. Add the mushrooms to the pizza before the tomato and cheese. Trade out the fontina for the same amount of a creamy fresh goat cheese.
Philly Cheesesteak Pizza Eliminate the tomato. Replace the mozzarella and fontina with grated provolone. Before sprinkling on the cheese, lay on very thin strips of grilled flank steak and a simple sauté of thinly sliced onions and bell peppers.
Barbecued Chicken Pizza Brush 1 tablespoon tomato-based barbecue sauce, such as Genuine Kansas City Barbecue Sauce (page 50), over the grilled pizza crust as soon as it is flipped onto the baking sheet. Then add a handful of grilled or smoked chicken breast strips before the tomato and cheeses. Scatter leaves of fresh cilantro on top after removing from the grill.
Entertaining doesn’t always have to be for friends and business associates. Occasionally, do something out of the ordinary for your spouse or the whole family. It will be even more special if it’s not for a birthday, an anniversary, or another event you would be celebrating anyway.
The pesto we use here goes lighter on the cheese and nuts than most, allowing it to spread easily and show off its bright herbal tones. The parsley in the blend smooths the assertive edge of the fresh oregano.
COOKING METHOD | GRILLING
Makes two 11-inch pizzas, enough for 4 main-dish servings
Oregano Pesto
¾ cup fresh oregano leaves
½ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 plump garlic clove
¼ cup pine nuts or walnuts
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Coarse salt, either kosher or sea salt
Pizza Dough Number One or Two (page 136 or 137), formed into 2 crusts
1¼ cups grated smoked or fresh mozzarella cheese
Pinch or 2 of hot red pepper flakes, optional
You can grill any pizza in the manner indicated in this recipe and always count on success. The process works best, or at least most easily, on grills with a moderately large cooking grate positioned at the top of the grill. It’s more of a challenge to rotate the pizzas on charcoal kettle-style grills and other models that have a grate set down inside the grill, but it’s not unmanageable in that case either. The rotation is necessary because of the two-level fire, hot in one area and medium-low in another. The pizza dough starts initially over the hot fire, directly on the grate without a pan, until the dough stiffens. Then you flip the crust, add toppings, and complete the cooking with half of the pizza over the hot fire and the other half over the medium-low fire, rotating the sides as they brown.
Make the pesto, first mincing the oregano, parsley, garlic, and pine nuts in a food processor. Stop the machine, add the cheese, and then, with the processor running, pour in the oil in a steady stream. Mix in salt to taste. Reserve at room temperature.
Fire up the grill for a two-level fire capable of cooking at the same time on both high heat (1 to 2 seconds with the hand test) and medium-low heat (6 seconds with the hand test).
Place the toppings within easy reach of the grill. The process goes quickly once you begin cooking. Have a baking sheet near the grill on a convenient work surface and have a large spatula or pizza peel handy.
Transfer the first crust to the grill, laying it directly on the cooking grate. Grill uncovered over high heat for 1 to 1 ½ minutes, until the crust becomes firm yet is still flexible. Don’t worry about any bubbles that form on the crust; they will be flattened when you turn over the crust in the next step.
Flip the crust onto the baking sheet cooked side up. Immediately spoon on half of the pesto, sprinkle with half of the mozzarella cheese, and add a bit of hot pepper, if you wish. Quickly return the pizza to the grill (without the baking sheet), uncooked side down. Arrange the pie so that half of it is over high heat and the other half is over medium-low. Cook the pizza for another 3 to 5 minutes, rotating it in quarter turns about every 30 to 45 seconds. This may sound awkward but becomes second nature very quickly. Using the spatula, check the bottom during the last minute or two, rotating a bit faster or slower if needed to get a uniformly brown, crisp crust.
Slice the pizza into wedges and serve immediately. Repeat the process for your second pizza.
Pizza with Arugula Pesto Replace the oregano and parsley with arugula leaves trimmed of gangly stems. We prefer this paired with fresh mozzarella. A few black olives make a good contrast.
Pesto Pizza Pronto Use a store-bought version of traditional basil pesto in place of the homemade. Use fresh mozzarella on this pizza, too.
Since you’re cooking outdoors anyway, why not fire-roast the tomatoes for the sauce, making even that basic ingredient more special? Pepperoni, capocollo, or salami is good with this, as are grilled or sautéed bell peppers and grilled eggplant. Just avoid a heavy hand with the tomato sauce and other ingredients you’re offering as additions.
COOKING METHOD | GRILLING
Makes two 11-inch pizzas, enough for 4 main-dish servings
Fire-Roasted Tomato Sauce
3 red-ripe plum tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon flavorful olive oil Splash or 2 of garlic-flavored oil, optional
Salt to taste
Pizza Dough Number One or Two (page 136 or 137), formed into 2 crusts
1¼cups grated smoked or fresh mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons minced fresh basil
Fire up the grill for a two-level fire capable of cooking at the same time on both high heat (1 to 2 seconds with the hand test) and medium-low heat (6 seconds with the hand test).
Grill the tomatoes over high heat until the skins are somewhat blackened and split and the tomatoes are soft, about 6 to 8 minutes, turned on all sides. As soon as the tomatoes are cool enough to handle, halve them and squeeze out the watery liquid. Puree the tomatoes with the remaining sauce ingredients.
Place the toppings within easy reach of the grill. The process goes quickly once you begin cooking. Have a baking sheet near the grill on a convenient work surface and have a large spatula or pizza peel handy.
Transfer the first crust to the grill, laying it directly on the cooking grate. Grill uncovered over high heat for 1 to 1½ minutes, until the crust becomes firm yet is still flexible. Don’t worry about any bubbles that form on the crust; they will be flattened when you turn over the crust in the next step.
Flip the crust onto the baking sheet cooked side up. Immediately spoon on half of the tomato sauce and sprinkle with half of the cheese. Quickly return the pizza to the grill (without the baking sheet), uncooked side down. Arrange the pie so that half of it is over high heat and the other half is over medium-low. Cook the pizza for another 3 to 5 minutes, rotating it in quarter turns about every 30 to 45 seconds. This may sound awkward but becomes second nature very quickly. Using the spatula, check the bottom during the last minute or two, rotating a bit faster or slower if needed to get a uniformly brown, crisp crust. Scatter with half of the basil shortly before removing the pizza from the grill.
Slice the pizza into wedges and serve immediately. Repeat the process for your second pizza.
Red and Green Pizza On top of the sauce, arrange strips of mild green chile, grilled or sautéed green bell peppers, or sautéed broccoli rabe, along with sliced green olives. Unless you used the green chiles, add some slivers of pickled peperoncini, too.
Southwestern Pizza Mix 2 teaspoons chili powder or ground dried mild red chile into the tomato sauce. After brushing on the sauce, arrange a small handful of leftover barbecued Texas brisket shreds or razor-thin bits of fajita-style skirt steak. Scatter grilled or roasted corn kernels over the meat before adding the cheese.
When your guests don’t know one another, you can get them together quickly and happily by having them make their own pizzas. Roll out the crusts in advance, sizing each batch of dough for four people rather than two. Then lay out a range of possible toppings from the common to the esoteric, including perhaps various cheeses, sauces, pestos, meats, and vegetables. You may be surprised by who picks what. We’ve seen a five-year-old go for goat cheese and fresh basil while the neighborhood gourmand opted for a pepperoni smile with pineapple eyes and nose.
Calamari Pizza with Spicy Fire-Roasted Tomato Sauce Stir up to 1 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes into the sauce. Grill 6 to 8 ounces calamari tubes (page 472), then slice into rings and add to the pizzas after the sauce goes on.
Anchovy Pizza with Spicy Fire-Roasted Tomato Sauce Stir up to 1 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes into the sauce. Arrange high-quality oil-cured white anchovy fillets over the sauce, from a light sprinkling to a lavish handful. A few capers accent the pizza nicely.
The beauty of the Alsace area, threading the border between France and Germany, provides plenty of reason to visit, but we go there largely for the creamy-topped tarte flambée and other hearty foods. An authentic Alsatian brick-oven tart usually starts from a wet batter rather than stiff dough, but for grilling, a pizza crust yields better results.
COOKING METHOD | GRILLING
Makes two 10- to 11-inch pizzalike tarts, enough for 4 to 6 main-dish servings
¾ cup crème fraîche, at room temperature
½ cup grated Muenster cheese, at room temperature
6 ounces portobello or button mushrooms, grilled, smoked, or sautéed, and sliced, warm or at room temperature
4 to 6 strips bacon, cooked until crisp and crumbled
Pizza Dough Number One (page 156), formed into 2 crusts
Fire up the grill for a two-level fire capable of cooking at the same time on both high heat (1 to 2 seconds with the hand test) and medium-low heat (6 seconds with the hand test).
Place the toppings within easy reach of the grill. The process goes quickly once you begin cooking. Place a baking sheet near the grill on a convenient work surface and have a large spatula or pizza peel handy.
Transfer the first crust to the grill, laying it directly on the cooking grate. Grill uncovered over high heat for 1 to 1½ minutes, until the crust becomes firm yet is still flexible. Don’t worry about any bubbles that form on the crust; they will be flattened when you turn over the crust in the next step.
Flip the crust onto the baking sheet cooked side up. Immediately spoon on half of the crème fraîche. Sprinkle with half of the Muenster cheese and top with half of the remaining ingredients. Quickly return the pizza to the grill (without the baking sheet), uncooked side down. Arrange the pie so that half of it is over high heat and the other half is over medium-low. Cook the pizza for another 3 to 5 minutes, rotating it in quarter turns about every 30 to 45 seconds. This may sound awkward but becomes second nature very quickly. Using the spatula, check the bottom during the last minute or two, rotating a bit faster or slower if needed to get a uniformly brown, crisp crust.
Slice the pizza into wedges and serve immediately. Repeat the process for your second pizza.
White Pizza with Clams, Crispy Pancetta, and Slivered Garlic Eliminate the mushrooms and bacon. Before firing up the grill, sauté ¼ pound chopped pancetta in a skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove the pancetta with a slotted spoon and reserve it. Stir 2 slivered garlic cloves and 6 ounces minced clams into the skillet. Cover and sweat for about 5 minutes, then mix in the pancetta. Scatter the clam mixture over the pizzas after the Muenster cheese.
White Pizza with Smoked Salmon and Chives Eliminate the mushrooms and bacon. Top each pizza with strips of paper-thin cold-smoked salmon, about ¼ pound total. Scatter snipped fresh chives and a few good grindings of black pepper over the pizzas.
White Pizza with Figs and Fontina Eliminate the mushrooms. Keep the bacon if you wish. Quarter 4 fresh ripe figs and lay half over each pizza after the crème fraîche. Substitute fontina for Muenster.
Don’t shortchange the importance of the bread in a pizza. When the crust is crispy, crunchy, and toothsome, it brings out the best in everything else. You can use a store-bought crust in any of our recipes, but few if any will come close to the results when you use this homemade dough.
COOKING METHOD | INDOOR KITCHEN
PREPARATION
Makes two thin 11-inch pizza crusts or 6 personal-size pizza crusts
2 cups bread flour or all-purpose flour, or more if needed
3 tablespoons cornmeal
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon (about ½ envelope) rapid-rise yeast
¾ cup warm water (about 100°F)
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
Pulse the flour, cornmeal, salt, and yeast together in a food processor. With the motor running, add the water and 2 tablespoons of the oil. Continue processing for about 30 seconds, until the dough forms a fairly cohesive ball that is smooth and elastic. If it remains sticky, add in another tablespoon or two of flour.
Knead the dough a few times on a work surface, forming it into a ball. Pour the remaining oil into a large bowl, then add the dough, turning it around and over until coated with oil. Cover with a damp cloth. Set the dough in a warm, draft-free spot and let it rise until doubled, about 1 hour. Form the dough into 2 thin disks, each about ⅛ inch thick and 11 inches in diameter. We find a combination of first flattening the crust with a rolling pin and then stretching and prodding it with fingers works best. (A raised edge isn’t necessary.)
The dough is ready to use at this point but also can be saved for later in the refrigerator or freezer. Stack the crusts on a baking sheet covered with wax paper and place another sheet of wax paper between the crusts. If refrigerating or freezing, chill the crusts on the baking sheet for about 30 minutes to firm the dough, then remove from the baking sheet and wrap the crusts before storing. Bring the crusts back to room temperature before proceeding.
Pizza Dough Number Two Make the crust partially with whole wheat flour for a nuttier flavor. Eliminate the cornmeal and replace 1 cup of the bread flour with whole wheat flour.
If you have other favorite flatbreads, experiment with them on the grill. Generally, the ones that we find best suited are those with a high proportion of wheat flour, kneaded long enough to develop a good amount of gluten, that aren’t meant to rise to more than about a half inch thick. Also, the grill is a great toaster for prepared yeast breads. Whether your style is Tuscan bruschetta or slabs of Texas toast, rub the bread slices with garlic before or after toasting, and then brush them with melted butter or an extra virgin olive oil.
a Piadina Party
Grilled Mozzarella Bundles (page 107)
Piadine and many topping options
Fresh Fruit
Limoncello Lemonade (page 77)
Piadine from northern Italy are a cross between thick flour tortillas and mini-pizzas. They’re easier to grill than pizza in several respects. The quick crust needs none of the rising time of a yeasted pizza dough, and they don’t require a two-level grill fire, just steady medium-high heat. Traditionally griddle-cooked, piadine are usually topped with some prosciutto and greens, folded or rolled, and wrapped in napkins for eating on your feet. Lard adds tenderness and flavor to the dough, but if you’re willing to give up those worthwhile characteristics, substitute olive oil.
COOKING METHOD | GRILLING
Makes 8
Dough
5 cups all-purpose flour, preferably unbleached, plus more if needed
1 teaspoon table salt
Scant ½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ cup lard, chilled and cut into small bits, or ¼ cup flavorful olive oil
About 2 tablespoons flavorful extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
16 paper-thin slices prosciutto
Several handfuls of arugula leaves
Shreds of Parmesan, Gorgonzola crumbles, creamy fresh goat cheese crumbles, sautéed broccoli rabe, slivers of peperoncini, toasted walnut pieces, chopped red-ripe plum tomatoes, or Salsa Cruda (page 68), optional
To prepare the dough, whir the 3 cups flour, salt, and soda together in a food processor. Spoon in the lard and pulse several times, until the mixture resembles fine meal. Sprinkle ¾ cup cool water over the mixture and again pulse until the dough forms into several large clumps. Stop. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead very briefly into a smooth, elastic ball. If the dough remains sticky, quickly add another tablespoon or two of flour, or more as needed, but handle as little as possible. Form into 8 balls. (The dough can be made several hours ahead to this point. Place the balls on a plate, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate. Bring back to room temperature before proceeding.)
Fire up the grill, bringing the temperature to medium-high (3 seconds with the hand test).
Roll out the first ball of dough and place the single piadina directly on the cooking grate. Cook uncovered for about 2 minutes, turning 3 times, about every 30 seconds. A few small bubbles forming in the dough are fine, but if a large one forms, press gently to deflate it. The piadina is ready when golden brown with some darker speckles. Brush the top side quickly with a scant teaspoon of oil. Wrap in a large piece of foil to steam while you cook the remaining piadina dough, stacking each one on top of the other as you finish. (You can grill as many at a time as feels comfortable once you’ve gotten into the rhythm.)
Serve as soon as all the piadine are cooked. Scatter prosciutto and arugula over each, adding one or more of the additional toppings as you wish. Drizzle with more oil to taste.
On a college trip to the Spanish island of Mallorca, Cheryl and a friend spent virtually nothing on food but always felt like they had plenty to eat. They supplemented a diet of fresh seasonal fruit with the most popular local snack food, a vegetable-topped pizzalike flatbread called coca. The lack of cheese and tomatoes on the coca surprised them at first, but they were hooked as quickly by the bread as by the beaches. If you like, replace the yeasted dough with two pounds of frozen bread dough.
COOKING METHOD | GRILLING
Makes 4, serving 6 to 8 as an appetizer
3½ cups all-purpose flour, preferably unbleached
1 envelope (2¼ teaspoons) rapid-rise yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons flavorful olive oil
¾ cup warm water (about 100°F) or room temperature beer
½ teaspoon sweet paprika, preferably Spanish
2 roasted red bell peppers, diced
1 cup slivered marinated artichoke hearts
Briny black olives, such as kalamata, halved and pitted
Combine the flour, yeast, salt, and pepper in a food processor. Whir a couple of times to mix the ingredients. With the motor running, add ¼ cup of the oil and all of the water. Continue processing until the dough forms a ball. Dump the dough from the processor onto a floured work surface. Knead for about 30 seconds, until the dough is smooth and elastic. Let it rest for 10 minutes. Oil 2 baking sheets.
Divide the dough into 4 sections and knead each into a smooth ball. Roll out the first into a free-form rectangle, stretching the dough outward with your fingers as you would pizza dough. Combine the remaining oil with the paprika and brush one-fourth of it over the dough. Set the coca on the prepared baking sheet. Make 3 more cocas with the remaining dough and paprika oil. Let them rise in a warm, draft-free spot until softly puffy, 30 to 40 minutes.
Fire up the grill for a two-level fire capable of cooking at the same time on both high heat (1 to 2 seconds with the hand test) and medium-low heat (6 seconds with the hand test).
Press the dough all over with your fingers, forming indentations that will keep the cocas from puffing enormously (and also provide good nooks for olives later).
Arrange the dough, a large spatula, and 3 small bowls with the peppers, artichoke hearts, and olives near the grill. If there is standing oil on any of the cocas, dab it up with a clean paper towel.
Place 2 cocas, oiled/indented sides down, directly on the cooking grate. Grill uncovered over high heat for 1 to 1½ minutes, until the crusts become firm yet are still flexible. Don’t worry about any bubbles that form on the crusts; they will be flattened when you turn each over in the next step.
Rip the 2 cocas over, arranging so that half of each is over high heat and the other half of each is over medium-low heat. Cook each coca for another 3 to 5 minutes, rotating it in quarter turns about every 30 to 45 seconds. This may sound awkward but becomes second nature very quickly. Using the spatula, check the bottom during the last minute or two, rotating a bit faster or slower if needed to get a uniformly brown, crisp crust. Repeat the process with the 2 remaining cocas.
* Leftover skirt steak, flank steak, or chicken, cut into very thin strips
* Creamy pinto beans and crumbled fried Mexican chorizo
* Red Bell Pepper Dip (page 97) slathered on the tortillas before the cheese is added
* Crabmeat and serranos and a smear of cream cheese
* Thin rounds of cooked Spanish chorizo and a sprinkling of grated manchego cheese
* Artichoke hearts and roasted garlic
* Slivered fresh squash blossoms with slivered scallions
* Cilantro pesto with very thin tomato slices
* Jalapeño-stuffed olives and avocado slices
* Bacon crumbles and sautéed chard or spinach
* Sautéed zucchini and yellow squash with chopped roasted mild green chile
Immediately scatter one-quarter of the peppers, olives, and artichoke hearts equally over each coca. Slice the cocas into squares or wedges and serve immediately.
We eat quesadillas constantly, both as a quick lunch with anything on hand and as company food in more polished preparations. When cooked over fire, corn tortillas develop a nuttier, more pronounced corn flavor, and their texture becomes chewy-crispy. Here we fill them with meaty mushrooms, smoky bacon, and chipotle chiles. Unlike pizza, we often serve these as an appetizer rather than the main event, but they can play either role. Add a favorite salsa on the side if you like.
COOKING METHOD | GRILLING
Makes 6, serving 6 or more as an appetizer
3 strips bacon, chopped
6 ounces cremini, portobello, or button mushrooms, thinly sliced
1¼ cups corn kernels
1 garlic clove, minced
½ teaspoon salt
2 canned chipotle chiles, minced, plus 1 to 5 teaspoons adobo sauce from the can
12 thin corn tortillas
Vegetable oil spray
½ pound Chihuahua, asadero, Monterey Jack, or Muenster cheese, grated, at room temperature
2 to 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves, optional
Fry the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon. Add the mushrooms, corn, garlic, and salt to the drippings and continue cooking over medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes, until the mushrooms are limp. Remove from the heat and stir in the chipotle chiles and adobo sauce. Add a few teaspoons of water if the mixture seems dry. Stir in the bacon.
Fire up the grill, bringing the temperature to medium (4 to 5 seconds with the hand test).
Spray 1 side of each tortilla with oil. Place 6 of the tortillas, oiled side down, on a baking sheet. Cover each tortilla with about one-sixth of the vegetable mixture, a similar amount of cheese, and 1 to 2 teaspoons of the cilantro if desired. Top with the remaining tortillas, oiled side up.
Grill the quesadillas uncovered directly on the cooking grate for about 3 minutes total, turning them to face the fire twice on each side. Judge them more by looks than by time, though. If one of the tortillas begins to curl up on its edges, turn it over to flatten it. The quesadillas are ready when lightly browned, with melted cheese and a chewy-crispy surface. Slice the quesadillas and serve hot vegetable oil to sauté the mushrooms and corn. If avoiding dairy products, substitute a mild, soft soy cheese.
Vegetarian Quesadillas with Corn Tortillas Replace the bacon with 1 tablespoon vegetable oil to saute the mushrooms and corn. If avoiding dairy products, substitute a mild, soft soy cheese.
Flour tortilla quesadillas are sturdy enough to be made open face, like a pizza, or with a pair of tortillas sandwiching the gooey cheese filling. Here we opt for the latter approach and get a crackling crisp surface for them by grilling both sides of both tortillas. Because of their heft, flour tortilla quesadillas can handle any of the suggested fillings in the sidebar or heartier additions such as pork tenderloin or duck as long as they still have ample melting cheese. Serve them with our suggested tomatillo salsa or a favorite of your own.
Before you serve these at a party for the first time, experiment with more than one brand of tortillas if several are available. Because they vary in thickness, in added fat (or lack of it), and coarseness of texture, they can yield slightly different results.
COOKING METHOD | GRILLING
Makes 3 large quesadillas, serving 6 to 8 as an appetizer
6 ounces asadero, Chihuahua, Monterey Jack, mild Cheddar, or Muenster cheese, grated, at room temperature
3 ounces crumbly queso fresco or 3 more ounces of the grated cheese of your choice
1 or 2 fresh or pickled jalapeno or serrano chiles, minced
6 flour tortillas, preferably thin and 7 to 8 inches in diameter
Roasted Tomatillo Salsa (page 66), Chunky Avocado Salsa (page 67), Chilean Tomato Salsa (page 68), or other salsa or Mexican hot sauce
Fire up the grill, bringing the temperature to medium-high (3 seconds with the hand test).
Stir together the cheeses and chiles. Place the filling mixture and a baking sheet near the grill.
Transfer the tortillas to the grill, 2 at a time, laying them directly on the cooking grate. Grill uncovered until the tortillas become firm and semicrisp, about 1 minute. Flip the tortillas onto the baking sheet, turning one grilled side up. Immediately scatter about one-third of the cheese mixture over this tortilla. Top with the other grilled tortilla, grilled side down. Return the quesadilla (without the baking sheet) to the grill and cook for 1½ to 2 minutes per side, until the tortillas are crisp and lightly browned and the cheese is gooey. Judge them more by looks than by time, though. Repeat with the remaining quesadillas.
Cut into wedges and serve hot with salsa.
Mexican Pizzas These are made open face, using just 3 tortillas but the full portion of remaining ingredients. Make one or more at a time, as you feel comfortable. After a tortilla is grilled on one side, remove from the grill, flip, and quickly cover with 1 tablespoon salsa. Then cover with one-third of the cheese and jalapeño mixture. Return to the grill and cook for 1½ to 2 minutes more, or until the tortilla is quite crisp and lightly browned and the cheese is gooey.
Indians make an astounding array of delicious flatbreads. We take some creative license in this soft, spice-scented adaptation, fragrant with curry and cardamom. Make the small added effort to grind cardamom from the whole pods, with a mortar and pestle, and then use it immediately. The naan, stained golden by the curry powder, looks lovely wrapping grilled chicken or lamb, or it can be torn and dunked into your choice of chutneys.
COOKING METHOD | GRILLING
Makes 8 side-dish breads
1 cup whole wheat flour
About 2½ cups all-purpose flour, preferably unbleached
1 envelope (2¼ teaspoons) rapid-rise yeast
2 teaspoons curry powder
1½ teaspoons freshly ground cardamom seeds
2 teaspoons coarse salt, either kosher or sea salt
1 tablespoon mild-flavored honey
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
Mango or other chutney, optional
a Casual Midnight Patio Supper
Curried Naan with several choices of chutney
Cold leftover grilled lamb
Sugar-Spangled Pineapple Spears and Mango Stars (page 505)
A pitcher of Pimm’s Cup (page 79)
Whir the flours, yeast, curry powder, cardamom, and salt together in a food processor. In a bowl, stir the honey and oil together with 1¼ cups warm water (about 100°F). With the motor running, pour in the water mixture. Continue processing for about 1 minute, or until the dough forms a smooth, elastic ball. If the dough is still sticky after 1 minute, add another tablespoon or two of all-purpose flour and process again for at least 10 seconds.
Dump onto a flour-covered work surface and knead several more times to form back into a ball. Coat the inside of a medium bowl with a bit more vegetable oil and place the dough in it. Turn the dough over to coat with the oil, then cover with a clean towel. Set in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled in size, about 45 to 60 minutes.
Return the dough to the work surface, punch down, and form into 8 balls. Roll each out into a circle, about 8 inches in diameter. Let rest for about 20 minutes.
Fire up the grill, bringing the temperature to medium-high (3 seconds with the hand test).
Grill the breads uncovered directly on the cooking grate, about 1 minute per side, until they lose their raw sheen and are flecked with dark brown. Remove them before they become crisp. Stack and wrap with foil or in a napkin-lined basket.
Serve immediately, hot and steamy, with chutney if you wish.
Middle Eastern cooks often add yogurt to flatbread, which gives it tang and also softens the dough. If the yogurt is soupy, start with a full cup and then let it sit briefly in a strainer lined with cheesecloth. Accompany the flatbread sections with crunchy Dukkah, a mixture of nuts, seeds, and spices perfect for dunking the bread.
COOKING METHOD | GRILLING
Makes 2 large flatbreads, serving 6 or more as an appetizer
¾ cup yogurt
¼ cup drained yogurt liquid, water, or a combination
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon salt
About 2 cups all-purpose flour, preferably unbleached
Flavorful extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley, thyme, or a combination
Dukkah (page 105)
Combine the yogurt, liquid, cumin, and salt in a medium bowl. With your fingers, mix in the flour, about 1 cup at a time, to form a soft dough. If the dough remains sticky, add a little more flour by the tablespoon, as needed to reach the proper texture.
Fire up the grill, bringing the temperature to medium (4 to 5 seconds with the hand test).
On a floured work surface, roll out the dough with a rolling pin into two ⅛-inch-thick rectangles, more or less. Rub about 1 teaspoon olive oil on each flatbread. Scatter half of the parsley over half of each flatbread. Fold the uncovered half of each flatbread over the covered side, making each flatbread roughly square. Don’t worry about making the shapes completely squared off; odd shapes are part of the handmade appeal. Pinch the edges of each flatbread together in about 6 dozen spots to help it stay intact.
Grill the flatbreads uncovered directly on the cooking grate for about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Rotate if needed to cook evenly. The breads are ready when crisp and lightly brown, with a moist but not doughy center.
Serve the flatbreads immediately with small bowls of olive oil and dukkah. Suggest to your guests that they tear off a section of the bread and dunk it first in oil and then in dukkah.
a Kebab and Flatbread Feast
Warmed Olives (page 87)
Warm Yogurt Flatbreads with Dukkah
Lamb Shish Kebabs with Cilanlro-Mint Sauce (page 596)
Sliced oranges
We’ve taken our favorite Chinese bread out of the frying pan and put it into the fire. This chewy, slightly doughy bread pairs with any kind of Asian seasoning or dish. The dough is made in two portions, one with cold water to keep the mixture strong and the other with boiling water to soften the dough. Mixed together, they make the ultimate bread dough-supple, sturdy, and delicious. Scallion breads can be fun for guests to form for themselves because of the snaillike coiling of the dough before it’s rolled, which creates more crannies for steam to swell the bread. We can make a satisfying meal of these simply dipped into the Peanut Sauce accompanying Satay Twins (page 125), though they would more typically accompany a main dish.
COOKING METHOD | GRILLING
Makes 6 breads
Dough
3 cups all-purpose Hour, preferably unbleached
2½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon coarse salt, either kosher or sea salt
½ cup boiling water (boiled just before using)
Dark sesame oil
About 2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
¾ cup thinly sliced scallion
Prepare the dough, first combining 1½ cups of the flour and the baking powder in a food processor. With the motor running, pour in ½ cup cold water and process briefly, just until a ball forms. Remove the dough, watching out for the blade. Add the rest of the flour to the processor with the salt. With the motor running, pour in the boiling water and process briefly, just until a ball forms. Return the first ball of dough to the processor and process the two together for about 30 seconds. Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead a few turns until you have a soft, smooth, elastic dough.
Coat the inside of a small bowl with oil. Add the dough to the bowl, turning so that it is covered with the oil. Cover loosely. Set the dough aside to rest for at least 15 minutes and up to a couple of hours.
Fire up the grill, bringing the temperature to medium (4 to 5 seconds with the hand test).
Divide the dough into 6 portions, rolling each into a ball. On the floured work surface, roll out the first ball into a circle no more than ¼ inch thick and 7 to 8 inches in diameter. Spread a teaspoon of the oil on the first round, then scatter about 2 tablespoons of the scallion over the oil. Roll the dough up jellyroll-style, as snugly as you can. Place the cylinder seam side down. Anchoring one end of the cylinder with one hand, use your other hand to coil the dough back around into a circle. You’ll have a “snail” when you finish. The coils need to touch each other all the way around so that there are no holes. Flatten gently with you palm. Roll out until you have a 7- to 8-inch circle again. Don’t worry if a few scallions or a dribble of oil pops through the dough. Repeat with the remaining dough and toppings.
Grill the breads uncovered directly on the cooking grate for about 5 minutes total, turning on both sides at least twice and rotating as needed to cook evenly. When ready, the bread will be golden brown with some dark brown flecks. It will look dry and stiff on the surface but should remain moist and steamy inside. Cut into wedges and serve hot.