Grilled Pizza with Grilled Eggplant and Goat Cheese
NOTE: Thin
rounds of eggplant are brushed with a garlicky basil oil, grilled,
and then layered over grilled crusts and sprinkled with goat
cheese.
1 recipe Grilled Pizza
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for brushing on stretched dough
6 medium garlic cloves, minced
4 tablespoons minced fresh basil leaves
Salt and ground black pepper
1 large eggplant (about 1 pound), cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
8 ounces goat cheese, crumbled (about 2 cups)
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Prepare dough rounds as directed in master recipe through step 2.
2. While preparing dough, combine 1/4 cup oil, garlic, 2 tablespoons basil, and salt and pepper to taste in small bowl. Set herb oil aside.
3. Brush eggplant slices with half of herb oil. Grill, turning once, until flesh is darkly colored, 8 to 10 minutes. Set eggplant aside.
4. Check grill heat and brush plain olive oil evenly over each stretched dough round. Grill, oiled side down, until dark brown grill marks appear, 1 to 2 minutes. Brush tops with more plain olive oil, then flip onto clean baking sheet, grilled side up.
5. Brush grilled dough surfaces with remaining herb oil. Arrange portion of eggplant slices over each dough, leaving 1/2-inch border around edges uncovered. Sprinkle cheese and remaining 2 tablespoons basil over eggplant.
6. Continue grilling pizzas, covered, until eggplant is hot and cheese melts, 2 to 3 minutes. Serve immediately.