Grilled Potato Pizza

Ingredients:

• 2 – 1 pound balls of pizza dough homemade or store-bought (454 grams each)
• 2 pounds Yukon gold Idaho® potatoes, peeled and sliced into  1⁄16 inch rounds (907 grams)
• 1 medium sweet onion, peeled and sliced thinly into half-moons (about 1½ cups)
•  ½ cup olive oil (120 milliliters)
• 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves
• ¾ cup whole milk ricotta cheese (180 milliliters)
• ½ cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese (120 milliliters)
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Flaky sea salt
• ¼ cup cornmeal, optional

Directions:

1. Make rosemary oil. Not mandatory, but highly recommended. See additional information for directions. This can be done ahead of time.
2. Remove pizza dough from fridge 30 minutes before starting. Have ingredients pre-measured and ready to go.
3. Place sliced potatoes into a medium bowl of water and soak for a few minutes. Swish them around with your hand a bit. Drain and repeat. Place potato slices and a teaspoon of salt into a medium pot and cover with clean cold water. Bring to a simmer (not a boil) and cook for 2-3 minutes. Do not cook all the way through, just enough to soften. If you cook them too much, they will fall apart. (You can also cook the onions with the potatoes to soften them if you like.)
4. Drain the potatoes and rinse with cold water. Place on clean kitchen towel or paper towels, then pat dry.
5. Preheat grill to 500°F / 250°C.
6. On a lightly floured surface, stretch (or roll out with a floured rolling pin) both balls of pizza dough to about a 14 inches (35 centimeters) round or square. It doesn't have to be perfect, just get as close as you can. Turn a large sheet pan upside down and place dough on the bottom of the pan (baking sheet).
7. Gently place dough directly onto clean grill grates. Lower lid and cook for 2-3 minutes without disturbing. Depending on the size of your grill, you may have to do them one at a time. Lift the lid and use tongs to lift dough and check under the edge for doneness. You want a light brown crust with a few char spots, but not totally cooked through.
8. Remove the dough from the grill and flip over. Place on a sheet pan to cool slightly.
9. While dough is cooling, toss par-cooked potato slices, sliced onion, 2 tablespoons rosemary, ½ cup olive oil (or infused olive oil), and salt and pepper into a medium mixing bowl. Toss to combine, making sure to separate slices of potato and coat each one.
10. Spread half of the ricotta over the grilled side of each pizza. Top with potato and onion mixture – place close to the edge, covering the crust will prevent it from burning. Shingle the potatoes so they cook evenly and top with any bits of rosemary or onion left in the bowl.
11. Return the pizza to the grill. Lower grill temperature to 400°F / 200°C and cook for 5-6 minutes with the top closed, rotating pizzas halfway through to ensure even cooking, or until potatoes are cooked through. If crust is getting too brown, shut off one burner and slide pizza over that burner, so there is no direct heat underneath it. (Everyone's grill is different. You may need to reduce the heat even more if your dough is browning too much. Knowing where your grill's hotspots are is helpful.)
12. Remove pizza from grill and top with grated Pecorino Romano cheese and flaky sea salt before serving.

Notes:

To infuse olive oil with rosemary : Combine 3 sprigs rosemary (rinsed and dried) + 1 cup olive oil in a small pot. Heat on low for 10 minutes. Oil should be warm; it should not simmer. Turn off the heat and let it cool for one hour. The rosemary will infuse the oil as it cools. Strain and discard rosemary. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Use leftover oil for cooking more potatoes.

To get a slight char on the potatoes: Place an oven rack about 5 inches below the broiler in the oven. Slide the cooked pizza under the broiler until the potatoes are slightly charred, about 2-3 minutes. Then, top with Pecorino and salt.

If you are nervous about placing dough onto grill grates: sprinkle the BOTTOM of a sheet pan (baking sheet) with cornmeal. Place dough on top and gently shake to make sure it isn't sticking. Gently slide dough off of pan and onto grill grates. Cornmeal prevents the dough from sticking and gives you a little extra insurance.