Calzonetti stuffed with red cabbage and chevre (tuscan)

16 Servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
1 tablespoon Yeast
1½ cup Warm water; divided use
4 cups Unbleached all-purpose flour; plus flour for kneading
2 tablespoons Extra-virgin olive oil; plus oil to grease bowl
3 tablespoons Extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium Onion; minced
1 small Head red cabbage; approximately 2-pounds, cored and finely chopped
½ tablespoon Lemon juice
2 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper
1 pounds Chevre cheese
2 tablespoons Chopped fresh parsley
Extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse-grind polenta; for sprinkling

Directions

THE DOUGH

THE STUFFING

1. To make the dough, sprinkle the yeast over ½ cup warm water in a 4-ounce glass. Place the glass in a larger bowl containing enough hot waterto come up to the halfway mark on the glass. Set aside for 15 minutes.

2. Place the flour in a large bowl (or in a food processor). Add the yeast, 1 cup warm water, oil, and salt. Mix (or process) until you have a soft dough Add addional warm water as necessary. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth, taking in as much of the remaining flour as the dough will absorb, about 7 minutes. Place the dough in a clean bowl that has been well coated with olive oil. Cover with a damp towel and place in a warm spot to rise for 2 hours.

3. Meanwhile, make the filling. Heat the oil in a skillet and saute the onion over low heat for 7 minutes or until soft. Add the cabbage and lemon juice, cover and saute for 10 minutes until the cabbage is wilted. Stir in the vinegar, season with salt and pepper, transfer to a bowl, and bring to room temperature.

4. Crumble the chevre into the cooled cabbage and toss with the parsley.

5. Roll the dough into sixteen 4-inch rounds. Brush each with a little oil.

6. PREHEAT the oven to 500 degrees. Divide the cabbage and chevre among the 16 rounds, placing it on half the dough and leaving about a ½-inch margin. Fold the dough over and press with your fingers to seal the edges tightly. Brush each calzonetti with a little oil and set on a baking sheet (or pizza stone) that has been sprinkled with coarse-grind polenta. Bake for 15 minutes or until the crust is golden. Serve immediately.

SERVES 4; TIME: 3 hrs; Moderately difficult. PER CALZONETTI: mc-PER SERVING 39% cff: 237cals; 10g fat

VARIATIONS: The possibilities are infinite when it comes to stuffing mixtures. Try red onions, mushrooms, black olives, and fresh mozzarella or lemon zest, olive oil, sesame seeds, chopped greens, and thyme. Also try serving with a dippng sauce.

MAKE AHEAD: Pizza dough can be made 1 day in advance and refrigerated in a plastic bag sealed tightly to prevent the dough from expanding further. It can also be frozen and thawed when needed. The cabbage filling can be prepared up to 3 days in advance and refrigerated.

>"Calzonetti con Cavolo Rosso e Caprese," Calsonetti (Bit-sized calzones) Stuffed with Red Cabbage and Chevre," from SOLO VERDURA, by Anne Bianchi (Ecco, 1997). >Edited by Pat Hanneman 3/98 Notes: Calzones are half-moon shaped stuffed pizzas native to Southern Italy. Their size varies from 6 to 8 inches in length and fillings include anything from four cheeses to the standard tomatoes and mozzarella. A few years ago, I began to notice that Tuscans had appropriated the idea of calzones and pressed them into use as a cocktail party appetizer. The Tuscan version, however, is made smaller in size and wrapped around largely vegetable fillings. The result is a marvelous slightly larger-than bite sized nibble.

Recipe by: SOLO VERDURA, by Anne Bianchi Posted to MC-Recipe Digest by KitPATh <phannema@...> on Mar 26, 1998

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