Photo: Grilled French Bread Pizza with Mushroom Pesto and Fontina Cheese Recipe
Ingredients
- 1-ounce dried porcini mushrooms
- 1 pound cremini or white button mushrooms, stems removed
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Whole head roasted garlic, pulp removed
- 1/4 cup toasted walnuts
- 1/4 cup loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
- 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated Pecorino Romano cheese
- 1 loaf French bread, about 24 inches long, sliced in 1/2 lengthwise
- 2 1/2 cups grated fontina cheese
Directions
Place the porcini mushrooms in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Let sit until softened, 30 minutes.
Heat the grill to high.
Brush the cremini or white button mushroom caps with the canola oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the mushrooms on the grill, cap side down and grill until golden brown and slightly charred, 4 to 5 minutes. Turn the caps over and continue grilling until the mushrooms are cooked through, about 5 minutes longer. Remove from the grill, let cool slightly then coarsely chop.
Remove the porcinis from the soaking liquid and place in the bowl of a food processor with a few tablespoons of the soaking liquid. Add cremini mushrooms, garlic pulp, walnuts, parsley and thyme in a food processor and process until finely chopped. With the motor running, slowly add 1/2 cup of the olive oil and process until smooth. Add 1/4 cup of the Romano cheese and pulse a few times to incorporate. Season with salt and pepper.
Brush the bread on the cut side with the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Evenly spread the pesto over the cut side of each half of bread. Top the pesto with the fontina cheese, return to the grill, cheese side up, close the cover of the grill and cook until the cheese has melted, about 2 minutes. Remove from the grill and sprinkle with the remaining Romano.
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By hollymoebus_111...
Davie, FL
on April 16, 2012
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I agree with another post in that this recipe was really good but it is missing something acidic. I recommend adding a thin layer of tomato sauce before adding pesto, or possible a sun-dried tomato spread or adding directly to pesto lemon. It was delicious and very rich but needed a bit of a kick! ;
By methoseu_11142412
Ocala FL
on January 28, 2012
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I made this on the stove top and broiler and it turned out great! Only having chopped garlic I put it in tinfoil and cooked it at 350 for 40 minutes and talk about easy and mess free! Started soaking the dried porcini, tore up the crimini and started cooking them on the stovetop with salt and pepper. Their own water releasing let me skip that extra oil, and everything finished about the same time. With the first chop my veg seemed a little dry so I ended up adding 4 TB of the porcini liquid instead of 2 and let me tell you, that added such a robust depth of flavor. I adding another 1/4 cup or so of romano to even it out, and OK because I love cheese and only added 1/4 tsp dried thyme since I'm not a huge fan. Had this an an entree with some fresh sliced tomatoes and it was absolutely delicious! Definitely a keeper!
By mcmareese_441961
Reche Canyon, CA
on July 29, 2011
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After watching you show on Thursday morning (California time, that afternoon I went to Trader Joes/Vons and bought all the ingrediants and made Pizza for dinner that evening. It was very easy, quick to make and the Taste...OooooLaLa! I highly recommend this recipe. I am having a BBQ for my Reps on Aug.20th and I will be making this Pizza as an appetizer. Would you like to come BBQ for us? Love To Have You Be Special Guest. I have a Great Kitchen. I will be making the rest of the recipes this weekend from the show. Oh by the Way, for whoever reads this, make sure you sign up for Bobby Flay's "Open Sky"....I Love This Chef and "No" I don't know him or doing any PR for him, however I would Love To! :
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