Mzansi make it to Italy in this fusion of flavour. When roaming Rome, why not add a taste of home, says Liezl Vermeulen.
Biltong & cream cheese calzones
Makes 6-8
What happens when two giants meet? Our puffy pizza fold-overs deliver oozy cheese, a chewy crust and filling and, of course, that hint of sweetness our locals love.
Ingredients
2 tubs (230g each) cream cheese, at room temperature
½ tsp (3ml) ground coriander
3/4 cup biltong powder
800g store-bought bread dough Flour, for dusting
100g sliced biltong
500g mozzarella, grated
6-8 preserved green figs in syrup, chopped
Thyme leaves and basil, for serving
Method
- Preheat oven and two baking trays to 180°C.
- Whisk cream cheese until smooth, adding a glug of milk if mixture isn’t spreadable.
- Combine cream cheese, coriander and biltong powder. Season and set aside.
- Portion the dough into 6-8 pieces. Roll out pieces of dough into circles of about 3cm-thick on a floured surface.
- Spread each pizza dough base with cream cheese, dividing evenly and leaving a 2cm border clean.
- Top one half of base with biltong, cheese, a sprinkle of thyme and a few pieces of preserved fig.
- Fold over to create a half moon, then pinch the inside of borders to stick together.
- Bake on preheated baking trays for 18-23 minutes, flipping halfway through, until brown and cooked through.
- Serve hot out of the oven scattered with thyme, basil and drizzle with preserved fig syrup, if you like.
Cook’s note
Biltong pairs well with chilli and feta so why not add some crumbled feta and chilli flakes into your filling for added flavour.
Recipes and styling: Liezl Vermeulen
Photographs: Zhann Solomons
ALso read: Biltong and pear tartlets
