PIZZA ON THE GRILL WITH CHERRY TOMATOES, MOZZARELLA AND ARUGULA

Pizza on the Grill With Cherry Tomatoes, Mozzarella and Arugula image

These grilled pizzas require no precooked sauce, though you could use some if you wanted to. The cherry tomatoes warm up but don't collapse as they would in a hot oven. The arugula is sprinkled on when the pies come off the grill.

Provided by Martha Rose Shulman

Categories pizza and calzones, main course

Time 30m

Yield 3 10-inch pizzas

Number Of Ingredients 6

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Ingredients

3 10-inch pizza crusts (1 recipe)
Extra virgin olive oil for brushing the pizzas
1 1/2½ to 2 boxes cherry tomatoes (12 to 16 tomatoes per pizza)
5 to 6 ounces mozzarella, shredded if fresh, sliced if low-moisture
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
3 generous handfuls baby arugula

Steps:

Prepare a hot grill. Meanwhile, cut the cherry tomatoes in half along the equator and place near the grill, along with the olive oil, salt and pepper, mozzarella and arugula.
Oil the hot grill rack with olive oil, either by brushing with a grill brush or by dipping a folded wad of paper towels in olive oil and using tongs to rub the rack with it. Place a round of dough on a lightly dusted baker's peel or rimless baking sheet. Slide the pizza dough from the peel or baking sheet onto the grill rack. If the dough has just come from the freezer and is easy to handle, you can just place it on the rack without bothering with the peel. Close the lid of the grill - the vents should be closed --- and set the timer for 2 minutes.
Lift up the grill lid. The surface of the dough should display some big air bubbles. Using tongs, lift the dough to see if it is evenly browning on the bottom. Rotate the dough to assure even browning. Keep it on the grill, moving it around as necessary, until it is nicely browned, with grill marks. Watch closely so that it doesn't burn. When it is nicely browned on the bottom (it may be blackened in spots), use tongs or a spatula to slide the dough onto the baking sheet or peel, and remove from the grill. Cover the grill again.
Make sure that there is still some flour on the peel or baking sheet and flip the dough over so that the uncooked side is now on the bottom. Brush the surface lightly with oil, then top with cherry tomatoes and shreds or slices of mozzarella. You can place the cherry tomatoes cut side up or cut side down, or alternate them cut side up, cut side down. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt and freshly ground pepper.
Slide the pizza back onto the grill. If using a gas grill, reduce the heat to medium-high. Close the lid and cook for 2 to 3 more minutes, until the bottom begins to brown. Open the grill and check the pizza; if the cheese hasn't melted, leave for a few more minutes. If the bottom is getting too dark, move the pizza to a cooler part of the grill and close the top. Use a spatula or tongs to remove the pizza to a cutting board. Scatter the arugula on top, cut into wedges and serve. Repeat with the other two pizza crusts.