Welcome back, friends, for another addition of Pickled Rose’s Fine Art Friday. Are you gearing up for everyone’s favorite drunken holiday? I will be celebrating St. Patrick’s Day from the comfort of my couch, eating this week’s art inspired recipe, a reuben calzone. An Italian classic filled with the luck o’ the Irish- a caraway dusted rye pizza pocket filled with creamy swiss, my quick cooking “sauerkraut”, and a heaping pile of corned beef. All served with a homemade 1000 island dressing for dipping. Because what is a calzone without something to dip it in?

If making pizza dough scares you, go ahead and use store bought. But don’t skip the caraway seeds on top, this is what will give you that hint of rye bread, which is so quintessentially classic reuben. If you do decide to make the dough yourself (YOU CAN DO IT! IT’S NOT HARD, I PROMISE!), be sure to make it the day before because it needs a looooooong sloooooooooow rise in the fridge overnight. And let’s not forget to wash it all down with a tasty beer. The leprechauns would want it that way. Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Reuben Calzone

Yields two 14” calzones

Ingredients:

Rye Pizza Dough

1 C warm water

1 tsp honey

1 packet active dry yeast

1 1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 1/2 tsp + 1 Tbsp olive oil

1 C dark rye flour

2 C all purpose flour

1 egg

1/2 tsp caraway seed

Filling

1 8 oz package cream cheese, room temperature

2 C swiss cheese, grated

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp kosher salt

pepper

1 C quick cooking “sauerkraut”

12 oz corned beef

1000 Island Dressing

1/2 C mayo

1/4 C ketchup

2 Tbsp dill pickle, finely chopped

1 1/2 tsp pepperoncini, finely chopped

1 1/2 tsp white vinegar

1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1/4 tsp garlic powder

kosher salt

pepper

In a large mixing bowl, or bowl of a stand mixer, combine warm water and honey. Stir until the honey has completely dissolved. Add yeast and stir gently. Let the yeast sit for 5-10 minutes, or until it has become alive and foamy. In a small bowl, combine the dark rye and all purpose flours. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil, salt, and half of the flour mixture to the yeast, stirring to combine. Next, add all but 1/2 cup of the remaining flour mixture and mix well with your hands or the dough hook attachment of a stand mixture. If making the dough by hand, transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface for kneading. Knead dough for 5-7 minutes, slowly adding in the remaining 1/2 cup of flour until the dough becomes smooth and elastic. The dough should not be sticky or wet. Coat a large bowl with remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Transfer dough to bowl, coat with oil, and cover lightly with cling wrap. Place bowl in a warm spot and let the dough rise until it has doubled in size. Once doubled, punch down the dough, re-cover the bowl with cling wrap, and place in the refrigerator overnight.

When ready to make the calzone, remove dough from fridge. Let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. While dough is resting, assemble filling. Combine cream cheese, swiss cheese, garlic powder, salt, and a few grinds of pepper in a medium sized bowl and mix until well incorporated. Cut dough in half and shape each half into a tight ball. Roll out dough into a 14” diameter circle. Dollop 1/4 of the cheese mixture onto half of the dough, leaving a 1” border around the edge. Next, layer 1/2 cup of sauerkraut on top of the cheese, then top with 6 oz of corned beef, and dollop another 1/4 of the cheese mixture on top.

Whisk egg to make an egg wash, and brush around the perimeter of the dough. Next, gently lift the side of the dough without any filling over to the other side of the dough, making a half moon shape. Seal the dough by pressing the edges together firmly, and crimping the corners together. If you’re feeling fancy, you can do a folded braid around the edge. The main thing is to make sure to seal the edges really well so that the filling doesn’t ooze out while baking.

Transfer calzone to a lightly oiled sheet pan. Brush egg wash lightly over the top of the calzone and sprinkle with caraway seeds. Cut a few slits in the top to allow the steam to escape when cooking. Bake in a 450 degree oven for 20 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the inside is bubbly.

While the calzone is baking make the 1000 island dressing. Combine mayo, ketchup, pickles, pepperoncini, garlic powder, vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce in a small bowl and stir until fully mixed. Season to taste with salt and pepper.