Figs have to be one the best tasting fruits on the planet. These little gems only last a couple days though once picked, which is why you typically only see dried figs sold in stores. Our amazing Desert King fig tree produces a heavy crop of juicy fruit in late summer.
Although most of the figs went into the preserving pot, we were still left with plenty for fresh eating. I wanted to share one of my favorite ways to enjoy fresh figs – on a homemade pizza. What’s even more exciting is that we cooked this lovely pizza on the barbeque!
Start by rolling out your dough thinly to about a 1/4″ thickness. We were on vacation with limited resources, so I used a wine bottle as a rolling pin.
Get all of your toppings prepped, as the cooking part happens quickly when you use a barbeque. The toppings I used were minced garlic, olive oil, fresh basil, chunks of goat cheese, quartered fresh figs and strips of prosciutto. Keep them within arms reach of the grill so you can access them quickly.
Heat up the grill for a few minutes until nice and hot. Turn it down to low and spray the grill with cooking spray to prevent sticking. Then lay the dough directly on the grill. Watch the dough carefully and pop any air bubbles as they appear. After just 2-4 minutes, flip the pizza to the other side.
Now comes the fun part: toppings! Drizzle on some olive oil to the cooked side of the dough and sprinkle with garlic. Let it cook with the cover down for a couple minutes. Then add the chunks of goat cheese and fig slices. Cover again for a couple minutes, just until the goat cheese is softened and the figs are warmed.
Turn off the barbeque at this point, then add the prosciutto. This keeps the meat from drying out too much and warms it just enough. Transfer the pizza to a serving plate, cut and enjoy!
The sweetness of fresh figs is excellent with the creamy, mild goat cheese. The prosciutto balances the pizza by adding some nice salty depth. This pizza is so good – you won’t need dessert!
Who knew you could barbeque pizza! Have you cooked pizza on the grill before? I would love to hear what you are grilling up on these hot summer nights. Tell me about it in the comments below!
I love grilling pizza! This reminds me of one of my favorites, gorgonzola and pear. One hint I’ve used- only prep 1/2 your grill with direct heat (either only use burners on one side or keep all charcoal to one side), and if the crust is crispy but you still want the cheese to melt a little more, move the pizza to the other side and close the top- keeps the crust from burning but gives the toppings a little additional melt time. Ideally, pizza is cooked with heat from above, but those of us without brick ovens make due, and this method works great!