Italian in name only

I don't know much about my parents' courtship when they were young. Both families are pretty chill, Mom's Italian...Dad's Irish, so I doubt there were any trepidations by either sets of Grandparents. However, if there were any doubts on my Dad's side about my Mom...I can guarantee you this...they were abolished the first time she ever served a stromboli. As I've said in a previous blog, due to family geography, I basically grew up with the Italian side of the family, and saw my Dad's clan once or twice a year. One of those times, annually, is my father's family Pollyanna. Around the holidays, one of the siblings would host a family Christmas party that would get everybody together for a day of food, drink, and presents. To this day, the first thing I'm asked, whenever I arrive is "Is your mom here...did she bring the stromboli". I mean, seriously...not how are you...how have you been...it's instantly...where's the stromboli. In fact, if there ever comes a year where my mom can't make it for whatever reason...she'd still have to send stromboli...I don't think anyone considers the holiday complete until they've had it.

Now, growing up in an Italian environment...we'd have stromboli all the time. It's not a holiday thing like fruitcake. It's basically stuffed bread...or a calzone without any sauce. You can stuff it with whatever you like. The standards growing up were a ham and cheese, and a pepperoni and cheese. I've made it numerous times with these ingredients...and as I've gotten older...I've played around with it some and put any number of ingredients in the stuffing. So as I was thinking about making some the other day...I decided to do a little research and see how Italians did a stromboli traditionally. I was SHOCKED to find out it's not an Italian dish....it's totally American...and not only that...regional to the Philadelphia area.

Story goes that it was created by an Italian-American in 1950, in a suburb of Philadelphia and he named it after a movie by the same name. See, Stromboli is an island just north of Sicily, and the backdrop for a 1950 Rossellini film starring Ingrid Bergman. And that's the only Italian thing about it. Some guy outside of Philly loved the movie, creates this dish...and voila...stromboli is born. His specialty was sausage stuffed...my mom's ham and cheese was always my favorite...so I'm doing an ode to both. Here are the results.

Sausage Stromboli

Pizza dough

3/4 lb of hot italian sausage

1 chorizo, diced

1 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 C shredded mozzarella

Prosciutto Stromboli

Pizza dough

6 oz prosciutto

3 C shredded mozzarella

Directions

Preheat your oven to 400F...if you've got a pizza brick, great...if not, don't sweat it.

Let me preface this by saying...feel free to make your own pizza dough. It's a real simple dough to put together...but does add a lot of time. Feel free to buy it for far faster results. In NY...I'm fortunate to have no less than 6 pizzerias within a stone's throw...so I don't even buy my dough at a market...I got to Fat Sal's pizzeria and ask them for a fresh dough and I'm set. That being said...there dough is big enough to make two strombolis...so I always end up doubling down.

For the sausage stromboli, put a tablespoon of olive oil in a pan over med high heat. Remove the sausage from the casing and add to the pan, breaking it up as you do. Let it cook and brown for 5 mins. Next add the diced onion and cook for another 3 mins. Finally add the garlic and chorizo and cook for another 3-4 mins. Remove from heat and let rest while you prep the dough.

Roll the dough, on a lightly floured surface, into a 10"x15" rectangle. Place the filling in the middle (like a log) and add the cheese. Now you want to roll it up...like a burrito. Fold over the sides first, then take the top and pull it down to cover half of the filling.

Now beat an egg with a tablespoon of water, and brush this over the exposed bottom half of the dough...this is going to help seal the dough and prevent leakage. Finally, fold the egg washed bottom flap over the filling, overlapping the top dough as much as possible, and press firmly. Move it to a baking sheet with parchment paper and place seam side down.

For the prosciutto stromboli, there's no pre-cooking of ingredients necessary. Just layer the prosciutto and cheese as desired and roll.

Once you've got both stromboli prepped, cut three small slits in the top of each, and brush the top with the egg wash. Put just a sprinkle of a course salt (kosher or sea) on top, and bake for 25-30 mins until golden brown.

Now if you've got a pizza brick...go ahead and cook them directly on there, but if not...the baking sheet with parchment paper (or silpat) works just as well.

Pretty simple, pretty fast and not at all Italian...surprisingly. These are great for parties, game days, or any other time you want something quick, easy, and hearty. It's really a blank canvas you can take in any direction, they're totally kid friendly, and if you ask anyone one on my father's side of the family...simply one of the best things you could ever eat. My mom will always be the Queen of Stromboli...but that would make me a prince right...awesome...I'd like to retire to my island now...please?

Mangia et statti zitto...

cheers...

dunkin