Red Onion and Goat’s Cheese Calzone

Calzoni are essentially turnover pizzas frequently produced because of their portability. Like pasties, they make a perfect lunch time feast as they are easy to enjoy on the go without risk of unsolicited spillage. However, though the inherent cleanliness of calzoni is beyond question, it is not their most arresting feature. As you’re likely aware, surprises often produce some of the most exciting and pleasant occurrences in one’s life. Breaking into the soft, golden shell of a calzone is one such event and witnessing the ingredients ooze from their man-made cocoon is, in all instances, more gripping that merely having a flat, though admittedly delicious, pizza thrust under your pecker.

The potential fillings for calzoni are as varied as the possible toppings applicable to their rather more two-dimensional brothers. According to tradition they ought to be filled with the leftovers of the night before and sent out in order to sustain the breadwinner. This course of action would be the most frugal, but should there be no leftovers the recipe below is a great approximation. Whatever filling one intends to stuff one’s dough with, be warned; make sure it isn’t too wet, for moisture may well prove to be the demise of even the most meticulously produced crust.

Goat’s cheese and caramelised red onion is a match made in heaven; they are at once both sweet and savoury and suit each other equally in terms of flavour. Combinations such as this are perfect for use in calzoni, simply because they work best when everything is thrust together in a less than organised manner. Indeed, when choosing between a calzone and a pizza consider how the flavours might work together; would order be best, or is culinary chaos the most advisable course?

For this recipe I’ll leave you to make your own pizza dough, though if you value my advice you’ll follow Jamie Oliver’s stunning recipe as it produces truly incredible bread. One can see from the photo below just how light and fluffy the dough has the potential to be – just make sure to knead it for at least 10 minutes!

p.s. My oven glass “blew up” when making these – luckily the neighbour cooked them. However, my oven is definitely out of action.

Red Onion and Goat’s Cheese Calzone {recipe}

Makes 8

Ingredients:

• 1 ball of dough

• Basic tomato sauce

• 4 red onions, roughly chopped

• 240g goat’s cheese

• Salad leaves – rocket, watercress etc

• A sprig of fresh rosemary

• Pepper

Method:

1. First, prepare the dough and get it rising. Then, start making the tomato sauce according to the linked instructions.

2. Pour a little olive oil into a heavy based pan and add the red onions – cook until soft and browned (30-40 minutes) – be careful not to let them catch. Tip them into the tomato sauce and mix thoroughly.

3. Heat the oven to 220C. Divide the dough into eight portions, knock back and roll out one at a time adding a dollop of the red onion mixture, 30g of cheese, a handful of salad leaves and a few leaves of fresh rosemary as you go.

4. Fold each “pizza” in half, like you would a pasty, and crimp the edges so each calzone is completely sealed. Place on floured baking trays and cook for 15-20 minutes until golden brown and piping hot. Serve immediately or save in the fridge for a couple of days.

Cost: This recipe makes 8 calzoni, which is plenty of food for the same number of people. However, if you’d like to, each recipe is extremely easy to halve which is great if there aren’t that many of you. Remember that dough can be frozen for later if you’d like to make a full batch for later use.

These are fairly basic, vegetarian calzoni and should set one back no more than around £7 for a batch of eight. Enjoy!