Baked and fried calzone

1

Ingredients

  • For the herb ricotta:

  • 500g ricotta
  • 3 tbsp dried basil
  • 3 tbsp dried oregano
  • 15g butter

  • For the pesto:

  • 170g fresh basil
  • 200g pine nuts
  • 175g shredded Parmesan
  • 375ml extra-virgin olive oil
  • 4 to 5 cloves garlic
  • 2 balls store-bought dough
  • Plain flour (for dusting)
  • Marinara sauce, for dipping

  • For the optional fillings:

  • Italian sausage, cooked
  • Mushrooms, sliced
  • Onions, sliced
  • Baby spinach
  • Roma tomatoes, sliced
  • Parmesan cheese, shredded
  • Mozzarella cheese, shredded
  • 2 eggs, beaten, for egg wash, if frying

Use imperial measurements

Method

How to make Baked and fried calzone

For the ricotta:
1) Combine ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir together.

For the pesto:
2) Combine garlic, basil, pine nuts and parmesan in a food processor. Slowly add olive oil as dry ingredients are processing.

For baked calzone:
3) Preheat oven to 240C.

4) Sprinkle flour on a wooden cutting board or preparation surface. Slap out the ball of dough into a circle about 1/2-cm thick. Spread a layer of pesto on dough a few inches across, leaving about 2-cm around the edges uncovered. Add ricotta and toppings and fold the dough over the toppings to create a half moon. Press down along the edges to create a seal so the melted cheese will not leak out. Bake for 15 minutes on a pizza stone. Rotate halfway through to ensure they cook evenly. Serve with marinara sauce.

To deep fry:
5) Preheat peanut oil to 180C.

6) Use an egg wash to seal the edges of the dough. Place in the fryer basket and deep-fry for 6 to 8 minutes, until golden brown.
*Cook's Note: 500g of dough yields 2 calzones.

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