Coffin Pockets
Foil-wrapped calzones cooked on coals. Named for the shape, which is the whole point.
- calories
- 620
- weight
- 6 oz
- cal / oz
- 103
- protein
- 22 g
- serves
- 4, scales
- prep
- 10 min
- cook
- 8 min
- total time
- 18 min
- water
- none
- cost
- $
Calorie and protein figures are my own estimates, good enough for planning a food bag and not meant as precise nutrition data.
- Dinner
- Snack
- Campfire coals
- Grill grate
- Car camping
- Basecamp
- Vegetarian
- Nut free
- Foil packet
- Pre-mix at home
- Needs a cooler
- Basic
Ingredients
| Flour tortillas | 8 small (6-inch) | they replace pizza dough, which does not travel |
|---|---|---|
| Tomato paste | 1 tube or 6 oz can | |
| Dried oregano | 1 tsp | mixed into the paste at home |
| Garlic powder | 1 tsp | half in the sauce, half on the outside |
| Onion powder | 1 tsp | same split |
| Low-moisture mozzarella | 6 oz | block, not fresh; fresh weeps and stays wet |
| Olive oil | 2 tbsp | stands in for butter, no cooler space needed |
| Salt | a pinch |
Method
- Tear eight squares of heavy foil, one per pocket. Oil one side of each.
- Cut the mozzarella into planks about half an inch by two inches. One plank per pocket.
- Spread a teaspoon of the seasoned tomato paste across half of each tortilla. Lay a cheese plank on top.
- Fold the tortilla over and press the edge flat. Brush the outside with oil and dust it with the remaining garlic and onion powder.
- Wrap each pocket tight in foil, oiled side in, and fold the seams twice so nothing leaks.
- Set them on a grill grate over coals, or bury them at the edge of a raked-out fire. Four minutes per side.
- Open one to check. The cheese should be running. If the tortilla is still pale, give it two more minutes.
- Let them sit a minute before eating. Molten cheese in a foil packet is a burn waiting to happen.
The original is an oven recipe with rolled pizza dough and an egg wash, neither of which survives a weekend in a car. Tortillas do the same job: they hold sauce and cheese, they seal when pressed, and they brown over coals. Olive oil replaces the melted butter because it lives in the same bottle you already carry.
Low-moisture mozzarella matters more than it sounds. Fresh mozzarella releases water as it heats and you end up with a soggy packet. The block kind melts instead of leaking. Tomato paste rather than jarred sauce for the same reason — less water going in means less water pooling in the foil.
Packing
Stir the oregano, half the garlic powder, half the onion powder, and the salt into the tomato paste at home and carry it in a squeeze tube. Cheese and tortillas ride in the cooler; foil, oil, and remaining spices live in the kitchen box.
Variations
- A few slices of hard salami or pepperoni per pocket, if you are not keeping it meatless.
- Cut the coffin shape from the tortillas with a knife if you care about the Halloween version. You lose filling volume and gain nothing else.
https://wonderlandrecipes.com/2016/10/13/edgar-allan-poe-coffin-pizza-pockets-an-awr-original-recipe