Grilled Eggplant Pizza topcook.tomathouse.com
Ingredients:
- 1 pizza base
- 3 eggplants (total weight about 1.3 kg), sliced about 2 cm thick.
- Olive oil for greasing vegetables, plus about 1/4 cup more.
- 2 large red or yellow bell peppers
- Flour for dusting
- 1 tbsp finely chopped garlic
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped oregano leaves
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
- About 1 cup pitted olives
- About 225 gr. coarsely grated mozzarella cheese
- 3 cups arugula
- Balsamic vinegar
Preparation:
- Prepare the grill and let half the coals burn down, or preheat a gas grill to medium heat.
- Place the eggplants in a colander over another bowl, season with salt and let them drain for 30 minutes, then rinse and dry.
- Brush the eggplant slices with olive oil and season with pepper. Toss the bell pepper with a little olive oil. Transfer the vegetables to the grill. Grill the eggplants until golden brown on one side, about 3 minutes.
- Before turning, make sure the areas between the grill bars are well-browned. Then remove the eggplants from the heat and grill the other side until tender, about 10 minutes. Cut the grilled slices into cubes a little over a centimeter thick.
- Fry the peppers until charred, turning as needed. Remove the peppers to a bowl. Cover and let them steam until the skins peel off. Once the peppers have cooled, peel them, remove the seeds, and cut into long, thin strips.
- Divide the dough into 6 equal balls. Roll the balls with the palm of your hand on a flourless surface. This will cause the dough to stick slightly to the surface, creating tension that helps form a firm, round ball.
- Then, dust your work surface with flour, lightly press each ball into a ball, sprinkle more flour on top, cover with a towel, and let the dough rise for 15 minutes. Using a rolling pin, roll each ball into a circle 20-22 cm in diameter and about 0.3 cm thick.
- Preheat the grill to medium. Place bowls next to the grill with 1/4 cup olive oil, eggplant, peppers, garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes (if using), olives, and cheese.
- Brush each dough circle with about 1 tablespoon of olive oil, place them on the grill, oiled side up, and grill until golden brown on the bottom, about 2 minutes. Then flip them over and, working quickly, brush each circle with another 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Next, sprinkle each circle with 1/6 of the garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes (if using), eggplant, bell pepper, olives, and cheese.
- Cover the grill and cook until the dough circles are golden brown on the bottom and the cheese is melted, about 7 minutes total. Place the finished pizzas on plates, top with arugula, and drizzle with a little vinegar. Serve immediately.
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