Grilled Sausage And Fig Pizza With Goat Cheese Recipe Epicuriouscom

GRILLED SAUSAGES WITH FIGS AND MIXED GREENS

Steps:

• Prepare grill (medium-high heat). Brush sausages and onions with 3 tablespoons dressing; grill sausages until cooked, 15 minutes, and onions until charred, 10 minutes. Toss greens with remaining dressing; mound on plates. Slice 4 sausages (reserve 2 for pizza). Top greens with sausages, cheese, figs, and mint.

FIG AND GOAT CHEESE PIZZA

Steps:

• Pour the water into a large bowl, and sprinkle yeast over the top. Let stand for a few minutes to dissolve. Mix in the oil, salt, and flour to make a dough. When the dough is too stiff to stir, turn out onto a floured surface, and knead for about 5 minutes. Place into an oiled bowl, and cover with a clean towel. Set aside to rise for about 45 minutes.
• Place the figs into a small bowl, and pour boiling water over them. Let stand for about 10 minutes, then drain and chop. Set aside.
• Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onions; cook and stir until they are wilted and soft. Reduce heat to low, and season with salt. Continue to cook and stir until the onions are a dark brown, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in the thyme, fennel seed and figs, and remove from the heat.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (220 degrees C). Punch down the pizza dough, and stretch into a circle about 1/4 inch thick. Place on a lightly greased pizza pan or baking sheet. Brush the surface lightly with remaining olive oil. Spread the onion and fig mixture over the crust. It will be sparse, but there is plenty of flavor. Dot with pieces of goat cheese.
• Bake for 15 to 18 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the crust has turned golden brown at the edges.

GRILLED PIZZA WITH SPICY ITALIAN SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Combine water and sugar in a food processor. Sprinkle yeast over; let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes. Add oil, then 3 cups flour and salt. Process until dough comes together, about 1 minute.
• Turn dough out onto floured work surface. Sprinkle with rosemary. Knead until dough is smooth and elastic, adding more flour by tablespoonfuls if dough is sticky, about 5 minutes.Lightly oil large bowl. Add dough; turn to coat with oil. Cover bowl with plastic, then towel. Let stand in warm draft-free area until dough doubles, about 1 hour. To test that the dough has risen sufficiently, push two fingers into it. The depressions should remain.
• Punch down dough. Knead dough in bowl until smooth, about 2 minutes. Divide dough into 4 equal pieces. Stretch out each piece on floured surface to 9-inch round. To prevent the dough from sticking as you stretch it, use flour sparingly; too much will result in a tough crust.
• Toppings
• 3/4 cup olive oil
• 6 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 3 tablespoons minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 pound spicy Italian sausages
• 2 yellow or red bell peppers, cored, lengthwise
• 1 large red onion, peeled, cut through root end into 1/2-inch thick wedges
• Whisk first 4 ingredients in medium bowl. Let vinaigrette stand 15 minutes at room temperature or refrigerate up to 2 hours.
• Prepare barbecue (medium heat). Arrange sausages, peppers and onion on baking sheet. Brush with some of vinaigrette. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill sausages until cooked through and peppers and onion until slightly charred and crisp-tender, turning and basting occasionally, about 12 minutes for sausages and 8 minutes for peppers and onion.
• Transfer sausages and vegetables to cutting board. Cut sausages into 1/2-inch pieces and peppers into thin strips.
• Final preparation
• 2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 cups crumbled chilled soft fresh goat cheese (such as Montrachet)
• 4 plum tomatoes, halved, seeded, chopped
• 3/4 cup chopped green onion tops Add coals to barbecue if necessary. Place 2 dough rounds on grill. Grill over medium heat until top of dough puffs and underside is crisp, about 3 minutes. Turn rounds over. Grill 1 minute. Transfer to baking sheet with well-grilled side up. This side of the dough becomes the surface that will hold the toppings.
• Repeat with the remaining 2 dough rounds. Sprinkle each with 1/4 of mozzarella and Parmesan. Top each with 1/4 of sausage, peppers and onion, then with 1/4 of goat cheese, tomatoes and green onions. Drizzle each with 1 1/2 teaspoons vinaigrette.
• Using large metal spatula, return 2 pizzas to grill. Close grill or cover pizzas loosely with foil. Grill until cheeses melt and dough is cooked through and browned, using tongs to rotate pizzas for Transfer to plates. Repeat grilling for remaining 2 pizzas.