Grilled Pineapple & Pancetta Pizza

GRILLED PINEAPPLE & PANCETTA PIZZA

4 oz pancetta, diced small
1 fresh and ripe pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch thick rings
1 tblsp vegetable oil
2 tblsp sugar
6 scallions, root ends trimmed
3 tblsp olive oil, divided
Kosher salt to taste; more to taste
1/4 cup uncooked grits or polenta, for rolling the dough
1 ball prepared pizza dough, at room temperature [Pillsbury makes a great crust!]
1/2 cup Onion Marmalade [recipe below]
6 oz Camembert cheese, sliced [or Mozzerella cheese]
2 tblsp flaked sweetened coconut, toasted
Red pepper flakes, optional

• Cook the pancetta in a small skillet over med-high heat until crispy, drain on a paper towel. Reserve for topping.
• Brush pineapple rings with veg oil and sprinkle sugar over both sides. Let sit 5 minutes. Brush scallions with oil and sprinkle with salt.
• Preheat the grill over medium-high heat.
• Place the pineapple and scallions on the cooking grate directly over the heat and grill until the pineapple is well marked and the scallions are limp and charred in spots (3-5 minutes). Remove from grill. Chop scallions, reserve for topping.
• Roll out pizza dough using grits to prevent sticking. Grill dough over INDIRECT low heat until bottom is lightly browned.
• Flip over dough and top with marmalade. Top with cheese. Artfully arrange the pineapple rings on top. Sprinkle with the pancetta and scallions. Finish grilling the pizza until the bottom is lightly browned and toppings are melted and heated through.
• Remove from grill, sprinkle with toasted coconut, and season with salt and pepper. Slice and serve immediately.

Onion Marmalade:

2 tblsp olive oil

1 tblsp unsalted butter

3 large yellow onions, thinly sliced and roughly separated into rings

1 tsp kosher salt

• Heat the oil and butter together in a large, heavy saute pan (like a Dutch oven) over medium heat. When butter bubbles, add the onion rings and salt and cook, covered, for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are all a deep golden color, about 20 more minutes.
• This will keep, tightly covered, in the fridge for up to 2 days. I suggest making this ahead of time to save time when the rest of the pizza is made.

Toasted Coconut Flakes

• Place coconut flakes in a saute pan over med-high heat and stir until the flakes are lightly browned.

I highly suggest you not drop this on the ground...like I did on my first attempt. So. Not. Cool.

Lamb Pizza

LAMB PIZZA

This pizza will take about2-1/2 to 3 hours to make, so plan accordingly!

For the Dough:
1 (1/4 ounce) packet of active dry yeast
2 tsp sugar
2 tblsp extra virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing and drizzling
4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 cup semolina flour [or use another cup of the all-purpose flour]
2tsp fine salt

For the Topping:
6 tblsp EVOO
1/2 cup pine nuts (optional)
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup red bell pepper, finely chopped
6 tblsp tomato paste
1 pound ground lamb [you can also use beef!]
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
1/4 tsp ground allspice
kosher salt
2 plum tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped
1/4 cup Greek yogurt
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
2 tblsp fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tblsp fresh parsley, chopped

For the Sauce:
2/3 cup Greek yogurt
1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped
1 tblsp fresh lemon juice
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

• MAKE THE DOUGH: Combine the yeast, sugar, olive oil and 2 cups warm water; let stand 5 minutes.
• Whisk both flours and the salt in a large bowl. Add the yeast mixture to the flour mixture and stir with a fork until the dough forms. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6 minutes. Place in a bowl brushed with oil, cover and let stand until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• Punch down the dough and divide into 12 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, cover and let stand until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
• Meanwhile, MAKE THE TOPPING: Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the pine nuts, onion and bell pepper; cook, stirring, until softened, about 6 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook 1 minute. Add the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil, lamb, cumin, cinnamon, red pepper flakes, allspice and 1/2 tsp salt. Cook, breaking up the meat, until browned, 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and cook 1 minutes Remove from the heat and stir in the yogurt, lemon juice, cilantro and parsley; season with salt.
• MAKE THE SAUCE: Stir the yogurt, mint, lemon juice and 1/4 cup water in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate, covered, until ready to use.
• Preheat the grill to medium. Cut 12 9-inch square pieces of parchment paper. Stretch each peice of dough into an 8-inch round, brush with olive oil on both sides and stack with the paper in between.
• Invert the dough onto the the grill; remove the paper. Grill in batches until golden brown on the bottom, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip and spread each round with 1/4 cup lamb mixture, leaving border. Continue grilling until the dough is charred in spots and cooked through, about 3 minutes. 
• Transfer the pizzas to a platter. Drizzle with olive oil and serve with the sauce.

this recipe is from "Food Network Magazine" September 2012 issue

Restaurant Review: Marietta Pizza Co

So while we are on Spring break, visiting in Atlanta, we did a lot of sight-seeing and tourist-y things. We didn't do a whole lot of eating out, we'd rather spend our time with the whole family around a dinner table. However, just a few days before we leave, the men were in down-town do "men-things" (aka work) and got stuck down there because Obama decided to visit and shut down all the highways. So, that left me, my sister and all our kids home alone. It was a beautiful day and we didn't want to waste it around the house, so we decided to go down to the "Marietta Square." Its a little part of town, that's shaped like a...well...square...with a whole bunch of little shops and boutiques and places to eat. We enjoyed the fresh air and walk around the...well, square...and decided to eat at the MPC (Marietta Pizza Company).

It was a fabulous and fun place to go, I absolutely recommend going if you're in the area!

MARIETTA PIZZA COMPANY

Marietta, Georgia
5 out of 5 stars

There was a variety of pizza's you could order, plus extra toppings in case there was more you wanted. The slices themselves were HUGE! With a mass amount of cheese I had on mine, there was a significant amount of grease--so don't go in thinking your pizza will be grease-free. It all depends on your toppings.



For kids, just ask for the "kids cut" and they slices the pieces in small squares, easy for little hands to pick up and to eat up! The price, very reasonable! from $2.00 a slice to $3.50 for specialty slices. Your bill could be very small as long as you don't order the drinks. Drinks range from about $2.20 and up. There isn't a "kid" drink, and the cups are huge (worth the $2.00) but just beware of the bill. We could have easily split a few of the drinks!

Almost forgot to mention: All 3 kids at the ENTIRE slice. Not a crumb was left. Those 3 kids were ages 7,5 and 2. Yes, the 2 year old ate the whole slice too. That just goes to show how great the pizza it.

So that is all I can rave about for MPC. Definitely 5 out of 5 stars. When we visit again, it will be on our list to return to!