Capri Summer Pizza

When you start with a crisp, flavorful crust, pizzas don't need a truckload of toppings. A light coating of good cheese and a few summer-fresh garden ingredients bring out the best in the bread, as in this treat based on the popular Italian salad, the insalata caprese.

 

MAKES TWO 10- to 11-INCH PIZZAS

 

CHEESE TOPPING

1	cup grated mozzarella cheese, at room temperature
¼	cup fresh-grated Parmesan cheese, at room temperature
2	tablespoons minced fresh basil
1	garlic clove, minced
¾	teaspoon crushed dried hot red chile
½	teaspoon dried oregano
1 to 2	tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
½	cup whole basil leaves
3	small red-ripe tomatoes, preferably Italian plum, sliced thin
	Lean-and-Mean Pizza Crust ([>])

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).

Prepare the cheese topping, combining the ingredients in a medium bowl.

Place the cheese mixture, the oil, an oil brush, the basil, and the tomatoes within easy reach of the grill. The process needs to go quickly once you begin cooking. Place a baking sheet near the grill on a convenient work surface and have your largest spatula handy too.

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 still flexible. (Don't be alarmed if it puffs up; you'll flatten it when you flip it over.)

Flip the crust onto the baking sheet cooked side up. Immediately brush with half of the oil, sprinkle with half of the cheese mixture, and top with half of the basil and tomatoes. Quickly remove the pizza from the baking sheet and return it to the grill, uncooked side down, arranging the pie so that half of it is over high heat and the other half is over medium-low. Cook the pizza another 3 to 4 minutes, rotating it in quarter turns about once a minute. With 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.

 

TECHNIQUE TIP: Until you develop an instinctive feel for the doneness of pizza crust, use a timer as back-up support to follow the timing guidelines in the recipes. Cookware and grilling shops sell small, portable models, some with magnetic backs that attach to metal grill shelves. You'll find the timer an asset in grilling any new dish.