Honest Abe Living Magazine features Cooking with Lodge Cast Iron recipes in each issue along with photos of log cabins, log homes and timber frame homes.
Ingredients
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can crushed tomatoes with or without basil, drained.
2 garlic cloves, minced
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup uncooked grits or polenta (for rolling the dough)
1 ball prepared pizza dough, at room temperature
2 tablespoons olive oil
8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices, or 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded mozzarella (if fresh is unavailable)
10 fresh basil leaves
1. Preheat a gas grill by setting all burners on high. Close the lid and leave the grill on high for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat of all burners to medium – you don’t want the heat too high, or the crust will burn. Place a Lodge Pizza Pan in the center of the cooking grates. (If you have a charcoal grill, let the coals burn to a gray ash and spread in an even layer. Place your pan on the cooking grate and let it preheat for 5 minutes.
2. For the sauce, pour the tomatoes into a small nonreactive bowl. Add half the garlic and season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Sprinkle work surface with the grits. Roll out and shape dough ideally into a thin, organically shaped piece of dough (about 1/4-inch think). Drizzle or brush both sized generously with the oil.
4. Pick up the dough by the two corners closest to you. In one motion, lay it down flat on the pizza pan from front to back. Grill, with grill lid down, until the bottom is nicely browned, about 3 minutes.
5. Using tongs, flip the crust. Spread the entire surface with 1 cup tomato sauce; sprinkle with the remaining garlic and top with the cheese.
6. If using a gas grill, switch to indirect heat by turning off the center burner(s) or one of the burners if you have a 2-burner grill. The pan will now be over the unlit section. (If using a charcoal grill, you won’t change anything.) Grill, with the lid down, until the bottom of the crust is well browned and the cheese has melted, 7 to 10 minutes.
7. Using a pizza peel or a flat-sided cookie sheet, remove the pizza from the grill; garnish with the basil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Slice and serve immediately.
serves 2 to 4
Elizabeth Karmel loves grilled pizza with a capital “L!” While she was writing her book Pizza on the Grill she realized that it took only a second for pizza to go from underdone to overdone on a charcoal fire. The Lodge Pizza Pan changes all that and ensures a gorgeous, crispy, slightly smoky crust every time. The cast iron pan creates hot, consistent indirect heat that browns food beautifully and helps prevent burning. This recipe also provides directions for using it on a gas grill, but it’s not as important as it is when cooking over charcoal. Try it – it will be the best “open-fire” pizza you have ever eaten!
Once you master the Margherita, add your favorite toppings. Remember, a grilled pizza crust is a blank canvas for all your favorite foods!
We hope you enjoy this recipe from the new Lodge Cast Iron Cookbook: A Treasury of Timeless Delicious Recipes. The cookbook can be ordered from the Lodge web site or from Amazon. For more information about Lodge and their cast iron cookware, visit www.lodgemfg.com.
