Comfort zone

These four Italian dishes are guaranteed to warm you up this season.

PANZEROTTI FRIED CHEESE AND TOMATO PASTRIES

MAKES ABOUT 16

l Vegetable oil, for frying

DOUGH l 10g fresh yeast or 3g (just over 1 tsp) active dry yeast

l ½ cup lukewarm water

l 500g plain flour, plus extra for dusting l ½ cup milk

l ¼ cup olive oil, plus extra for oiling l 1½ tsp salt

FIL L ING l 250g tomato passata l 500g fresh mozzarella Prepare the dough by combining the yeast and water, and leaving to soften for 5-10 minutes. Sift the flour into a large, wide mixing bowl and add the yeast mixture, milk, olive oil and salt, and mix until combined into a dough. Knead on a lightly floured surface (it may be somewhat sticky at first) for about 7-10 minutes, or until you have a smooth, elastic ball of dough. Lightly oil the bowl and place the dough back inside, cover tightly with plastic wrap or place a slightly damp tea towel over the top. Leave to sit in a warm corner of the kitchen (free from draughts) to rise for 2 hours (3 if your kitchen is cold), or until the dough has doubled in size. Alternatively, place the bowl in the fridge and let the dough rise slowly for 8-12 hours, or overnight.

While the dough is rising, prepare the filling. Season the passata with salt and pepper, and heat gently over a low heat in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, then set aside to cool.

Cut the mozzarella into small dice and place in a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl to drain out the whey. Set aside in the fridge.

When the dough has risen, portion it into 16 balls, roughly 50g each. Place the balls on a baking tray or chopping board lined with baking paper, loosely cover with a slightly damp tea towel, then leave to rise for another hour.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out each ball to a thin circle, about 1-2mm thick. Place half a tablespoon of passata and about 1 tablespoon of mozzarella in the centre of each circle. Fold in half and press the edges down firmly, then fold over the edge again by about 1cm to double-seal (you’ll be in trouble if the panzerotti come undone during frying). Repeat with the remaining balls of dough. If you’re not cooking them right away, at this point you can leave them in the fridge (in a single layer on a tray lined with baking paper so they do not stick) for an hour or two before frying (bring them to room temperature 30 minutes before frying). Otherwise, freeze them, as above, in a single layer on a tray. Once frozen hard, transfer them to freezer bags to freeze for up to 3 months. Fry from frozen until evenly golden brown.

To fry, heat enough vegetable oil in a saucepan to cover the panzerotti completely (at least 5cm) over a medium heat. It is ready when it has reached 160°C on a cooking thermometer. If you don’t have a thermometer, drop a cube of white bread into the oil. It should turn golden brown in 15 seconds. If it colours too quickly, turn the heat down slightly. Fry the panzerotti in batches for 2-3 minutes, or until golden brown and puffed all over.

A panzerotto ( panzerotti is plural) is essentially a small, deep-fried calzone: pizza dough harbouring a filling of mozzarella and tomato sauce in its most classic form. There is something magical about fried pizza dough – it is golden and incredibly crisp on the outside, impossibly fluffy on the inside, and it stays hot for a long time (take note, impatient, hungry eaters). This recipe sounds like it makes a large quantity, but it’s worth it as these panzerotti freeze very well if you’re not using them all at once, and, if you are, they make perfect party fare.

MATCH WITH 2017 PREECE YARRA VALLEY PINOT NOIR, $20 This wine has sumptuous aromas of black cherry and spicy French oak. It has a silky palate and a medley of dark cherry, wild strawberry and plum fruit, which will all work beautifully with the flavours in here. MITCHELTON.COM.AU