Grilled Flatbreads with Charred Lemon, Ricotta, + Chive Blossoms
In the Summer, grilling pizza is one of my favorite pizza-making methods. It sounds a little scary to put raw dough on a screamin' hot grill if you've never done it before. Seems like it'll be a total mess, right? Wrong. It's kinda magic to watch how quickly the dough puffs and sizzles on the grill grates and transforms into a crispy disc before your eyes! It's really fun and VERY fast. If you don't have a bbq, you can totally use a cast-iron grill pan on the stove, too. I've done that before and works just as well. There's just something about cooking outside in the Summer, though.
When I came across this recipe from Food & Wine a few weeks ago, coupled with the fact that I knew my mom's garden was exploding with fresh chive blossoms, I knew what I had to do. If you've never had chive blossoms, I highly encourage you to track some down if you can at maybe a farmer's market or even your neighbor's yard. They have the same mild onion flavor of chives themselves, but they are a bit sweeter and the flavor is more delicate. Also, they are just pretty! If you can't find blossoms, though, feel free to use some good ole chives and your flatbreads will still be delicious. Creamy ricotta, slightly smoky and tart and caramelized lemons, mildly onion-y chive blossoms, flaky salt, grassy olive oil, and sweet, floral honey. These little flatbreads are the perfect thing to whip up for an easy snack or light dinner in the backyard on a warm Summer evening to be enjoyed with a glass of wine.
grilled Flatbreads with Charred Lemon, Ricotta, + Chive Blossoms
makes 3 approximately 5-inch flatbreads
16 oz pizza dough, room temperature (store-bought or homemade)
2 organic lemons, thinly sliced and seeds removed
1 c full-fat ricotta, divided
3-4 chive blossoms, washed and separated (roughly snipped chives work too)
1 T chives, washed and roughly snipped with scissors into 1/2 inch pieces
olive oil, for brushing lemons and pizza dough
honey, for drizzling
flaky sea salt
prep dough + grill the lemons
Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium-high heat. Divide pizza dough into three equal pieces and gently stretch each out with your hands to a rough 5 inch circle. Lay them on a lightly-floured baking tray for easy transporting to the grill. Brush the tops generously with olive oil and set aside. Brush both sides of each lemon slice then lay out on the grill and cook for about 3-4 minutes until slightly charred and caramelized. Flip and grill for about another 2 minutes or so. Remove lemons from grill and set aside.
grill the dough
Gently lay out each flatbread olive-oil side down on the grill and brush the other side with olive oil too. Grill for about 3-4 minutes, until you can see grill marks and the dough doesn't stick to the grill. Flip with a pair of tongs and cook for another two to three minutes.
assemble the flatbreads
Remove from grill, spread each flatbread with about 1/3 cup of the ricotta, arrange lemon slices, sprinkle with chive blossoms and snipped chives and top with a drizzle of olive oil, drizzle of honey, and generous sprinkle of flaky salt. Enjoy alfresco with some rose and a nice green salad.
recipe adapted from Food & Wine
