Chicken Caesar Pizza
The pungent tanginess of a well-made Caesar salad is a restaurant staple. In this pizza, the grilled crust stands in for the croutons and the Parmigiano-Reggiano melts into the chicken for a more intense Caesar experience, one that Brutus would never betray. You can use store-bought pizza dough or make your own.
Ingredients
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1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast (about 12 ounces) or 1-1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast
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3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
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Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
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1/4 cup uncooked grits or polenta, for rolling the dough
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1 8-ounce ball prepared pizza dough, at room temperature
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1/2 cup Roasted Garlic Paste
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1-1/4 cups grated Fontina cheese
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1 heart of romaine, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-wide ribbons
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2 tablespoons homemade or store-bought Caesar salad dressing
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2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Roasted Garlic Paste
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3 heads garlic
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3 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
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Kosher salt
Directions
1.
If you're not using leftover chicken, preheat the grill per the master instructions below.
2.
Brush the chicken breast with 1 tablespoon of the oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the chicken on the cooking grate directly over the heat and grill until no longer pink in the middle, 10 to 12 minutes. Set aside and, when almost ready to use, cut into 14-inch-thick strips.
3.
Roll out and shape the dough, then grill the first side of the crust per the master instructions below. Use tongs to transfer it from the grill to a peel or rimless baking sheet. Flip the crust to reveal the grilled side.
4.
Spread the entire surface with the garlic paste, then top with the chicken and sprinkle with the Fontina.
5.
Finish grilling the pizza per the master instructions below.
6.
Just before the pizza is done, toss the romaine with the dressing and 1 tablespoon of the Parmigiano in a medium bowl. Remove the pizza from the grill and immediately top with dressed romaine. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon Parmigiano and season with salt and pepper. Slice and serve immediately.
Master directions for grilling pizza
For Gas Grills
Heat the grill by setting all the burners on high. After lighting, close the lid and leave on high for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat of all the burners to medium.
Pick up the oiled dough by the two corners closest to you. In one motion, lay it down flat on the cooking grate from back to front (as you would set a tablecloth down on a table). Close the lid and grill for 3 minutes (no peeking!), then check the crust and, if necessary, continue grilling a few more minutes until the bottom is well marked and nicely browned.
Use tongs to transfer the crust from the grill to a peel or rimless baking sheet. Close the lid of the grill. Flip the crust to reveal the grilled side. Follow the specific recipe directions for adding any sauce, toppings, and/or cheese.
Switch the grill to indirect heat by turning off the center burner(s) if you have a three- or four-burner grill. For a two-burner grill, turn off one burner.
Set the pizza back on the grate over indirect heat (the unlit section) and grill, with the lid down, until the bottom is well browned and the cheese is melted, 7 to 10 minutes. For two-burner grills, rotate the pizza halfway through the cooking time.
Remove from the grill, garnish, and season as directed. Slice and serve immediately.
For Charcoal Grills
Build a fire by lighting 50 to 60 charcoal briquettes in either a chimney starter or in a pyramid-shaped mound on the bottom grate of your grill. Once the briquettes have become gray-ashed (20 to 30 minutes or 450 degrees F inside the grill), move them all to one side of the grill.
Pick up the oiled dough by the two corners closest to you. In one motion, lay it down flat-over the side without briquettes-on the cooking grate from back to front (as you would set a tablecloth down on a table). Close the lid and grill for 3 minutes (no peeking!), then rotate the crust 180 degrees and continue grilling until the bottom is well marked and evenly browned, another 2 to 3 minutes.
Use tongs to transfer the crust from the grill to a peel or rimless baking sheet. Close the lid of the grill. Flip the crust to reveal the grilled side. Follow the specific recipe directions for adding any sauce, toppings, and/or cheese.
Set the pizza back on the grate over the side without briquettes and grill, with the lid down, for 4 to 5 minutes. Rotate the pizza 180 degrees and continue to grill with the lid down until the bottom is well browned and cheese is melted, another 4 to 5 minutes.
Remove from the grill, garnish, and season as directed. Slice and serve immediately.
Variations: Top the salad greens with anchovies (and if you are really, really adventurous, use white anchovies).
Roasted Garlic Paste
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Remove the first layer of papery skin from the garlic. Slice off 14 inch from the pointy top. Place each head on a sheet of aluminum foil, cut side up. Drizzle with the oil and season with salt. Wrap each head in the foil and roast until the cloves are golden brown and soft, about 1 hour. Remove from the heat and let cool. (You can also do this on the grill, cooking over indirect heat.)
Remove the roasted cloves from their skins. The most efficient way to do this is to squeeze the whole head from the bottom. Using a fork, vigorously mix the garlic and oil together. Add a pinch of salt. (If your recipe calls just for a clove or two of roasted garlic, you can remove it from the skin using a small escargot-style fork.)
This will keep, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Drink Suggestions
Try a not-too-oaky California Chardonnay.
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