Fried Calzones with Ham and Mozzarella

Fried calzones with ham and mozzarella are a delicious and flavorful dish, typical of Italian cuisine. Here is the recipe to prepare 4 calzones.

Ingredients

• 500 g of pizza dough (you can make it or buy it ready-made)
• 200 g of mozzarella cheese, preferably buffalo mozzarella, drained and cut into cubes
• 100 g of high-quality cooked ham, cut into cubes or strips
• Oil for frying (preferably olive oil for a more authentic flavor)
• Salt, as needed
• Pepper, as needed (optional)
• A pinch of oregano (optional)
• Diced tomatoes or tomato sauce, if you prefer a red calzone (optional)

Preparation

1. Divide the pizza dough into 4 equal balls and let them rest for a few minutes.
2. Roll out each ball into a disc of about 20 cm in diameter on a lightly floured surface.
3. Evenly distribute the mozzarella and ham over one half of each dough disc, leaving a 1 cm border free. If you wish, also add the tomato, salt, pepper, and a pinch of oregano.
4. Fold the dough over on itself to form a semicircle, pressing the edges well to seal the calzone. You can use the tines of a fork to ensure the edges are well sealed.
5. In a large pan, heat plenty of oil for frying over medium-high heat (about 170-180 °C).
6. Fry the calzones one at a time, to prevent the oil temperature from dropping too much, until they become golden and puffy, turning them once to cook evenly, this will take about 3-5 minutes per side.
7. Drain with a slotted spoon and place them on paper towels to remove excess oil.
8. Serve hot.

Curiosity

The fried calzone is a specialty of Neapolitan cuisine. Traditionally, it does not contain tomato inside to prevent the moisture from the tomato from causing the calzone to burst during frying. In some variations, ricotta is added to make the filling even creamier and tastier. The name “calzone” comes from the term “stocking”, symbolizing something that can be “filled”.