I got the inspiration to write this post of Tigellae’s Street food school yesterday, by looking at a very bright crescent moon. This fact can tell you just how much I’m absolutely obsessed with the lovely panzerotto pugliese! Panzerotto (or calzone fritto, as known in the province of Lecce) is a pocket of dough – similar to the one used for making pizza, just a bit softer – folded into a half moon and stuffed, then deep fried and served steaming hot. Common fillings are tomato and mozzarella, but olives, spinach, mushrooms, pesto and ham are also used. Onions fried in olive oil and seasoned with salted anchovies and capers also make a very popular ripieno – filling. The name panzerotto comes from the Italian pancia (panza in the local dialect) and simply means small belly. Well, this must obviously refers to a traveller’s belly BEFORE visiting Puglia!
I have now an embarrassing confession to make: I have never actually been to Puglia! I know, I know… unforgivable! Come on, just look at this stunning view for a second and tell me you don’t want to be in Puglia NOW!
Despite never been to Puglia, I’m very familiar with the panzerotto as is traditionally sold in many rosticcerie – rotisseries with baked products as well – own by Pugliese families in the North. Pugliesi count for more than 15% of the population in metropolis like Milano and Torino. It’s clear how their mass migration during the industrial boom of the Sixties has had a great impact in the wide diffusion of this and many other typical products from Puglia. Panzerotti, pucce, rustici, focacce baresi… trust me when I say that entering a traditional rosticceria pugliese is always a feast for the eyes – and the nose!
Panzerotto in Puglia
This great street food speciality should be considered originating in various bits of the Puglia region at similar times, rather than in a particular city – as we’ve seen happened for other dishes in this section of the Tigellae blog. Panzerotto was invented during late Medieval times, probably as creative use of flattened surplus dough. Similarly to the Sicilian arancino, this product was foremost created to be practical, as fishermen and farm workers used to take this portable and easy to eat food with them to work. They were also exclusively filled with leftovers, proving once again how the best Italian food has very often humble and popular origins. The panzerotto is a very close relative to the Neapolitan calzone and has originated a lot of regional variations in Southern Italy, where the panzerotto/calzone is often baked in a wood fired oven rather than deep fried.
I prefer the most traditional tomato and mozzarella, deep fried panzerotto. So here’s a simple recipe for you to try at the weekend!
Panzerotto pugliese (serves 6):
- 500g plain flour
- 200ml water
- 25g brewers yeast
- 5g sugar
- 10ml extra virgin olive oil
- 5g salt
Ripieno (filling):
- 200g mozzarella (of the best quality you can reasonably afford!)
- 500g ripe tomatoes (or 400g tinned plum tomatoes)
- a little extra virgin olive oil
- a pinch of salt, black pepper and oregano
For frying use 1lt of any good quality oil, Pugliesi use extra virgin olive oil
1. In a bowl, mix the brewers yeast with the sugar and a glass of warm water. Add 70g of flour and keep mixing for a couple of minutes. Make a dough ball, cover the bowl with a damp towel and set aside to rest for around an hour.
2. Sift the rest of the flour into a large bowl, make a well in the centre and then add 10ml of olive oil and 5g of salt. Stir the mix, adding 200ml of water a little at a time. Knead the dough for 15 minutes.
3. Combine the two dough balls together, keep kneading till you’ll see some little bubbles appearing on the surface. Form a smooth ball, make a cross on the top (for good luck!), cover with a damp towel and set aside to rest in a warm place for a couple of hours.
4. Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces and stretch them with a rolling pin to form discs of around 10cm. Put a couple of spoon of squashed plum tomatoes on top of each of them and add a small pinch of salt, black pepper and oregano. Add a little mozzarella (in small cubes) and dress with a very little olive oil.
5. Fold the discs in halves, creating a parcel. Make sure to close the gap between them by pressing the edge with your thumbs and then with a fork. Deep fry the panzerotti (two at a time, don’t rush!) in plenty of oil, making sure it’s always at around 160°C and turning them at least once. Drain and pat them dry with kitchen towels and pronti, they’re ready to eat!
6. Enjoy your panzerotto with a Primitivo – a great red wine from Puglia – or a Lambrusco from Sorbara (Emilia). And this song from a Pugliese DOC, Caparezza!
Buon appetito!
Giordano