Luca Montersino’s Carnival Fritters
Fritters (bugie, frappe, cenci, sfrappole) for Carnival are prepared throughout Italy, each following a different recipe typical of their tradition, claiming to make the best version. As a good Bolognese, I also have my version of sfrappole to which I am very attached, and I am convinced that all the memories that bind me to this recipe make it the best ever, but… I love trying others, I’m very curious and every year I have to try new recipes.
Today I propose Luca Montersino’s version. The recipe is simple, the dough is prepared in a few minutes, although using Manitoba flour requires a fairly long rest in the fridge.
For me, fritters are the symbol of Carnival, I prefer them to filled fritters or castagnole, I find them much lighter and less tiring. A few years ago I tried the recipes of Massari’s fritters, Gino Fabbri, and Biasetto, and these days I’m trying others. Could Luca Montersino’s be missing? Absolutely not!
As I imagined, they are excellent, perfectly balanced, light, crispy, and full of bubbles, a real delight. I’ve had the recipe written in a notebook for a long time, I found it in Alice magazine, and after taking his course on Carnival fritters, I got to work.
The advice I can give you is always the same: let the dough rest, roll it out very thin (about 1/25 inch), and fry them in plenty of peanut oil at 338/347°F, in this way you will get a product that does not absorb oil and melts in your mouth.
Also try the other versions:
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 12 Hours
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 1 Person
- Cooking methods: Frying
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Carnival
- Energy 560.51 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 60.46 (g) of which sugars 26.74 (g)
- Proteins 8.87 (g)
- Fat 31.97 (g) of which saturated 7.94 (g)of which unsaturated 22.22 (g)
- Fibers 1.11 (g)
- Sodium 210.92 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 100 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 3 1/3 cups Manitoba flour (360 W)
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 2 3/4 tbsp butter (soft)
- 2 egg yolks yolks (from medium eggs)
- 1/3 cup eggs (whole)
- 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt (I used 2 g)
- 1 tsp lemon zest (grated)
- 1 pod vanilla (Bourbon)
- 2 tsp vinegar
- 2 3/4 tbsp milk
- 1 quart peanut oil
- 1 1/4 cup vanilla powdered sugar
Tools
- 1 Work surface
- 1 Pasta machine
- 1 Fluted wheel cutter
- 1 Pan large
- 1 Tongs
- 1 Bowl
Procedure
In a bowl or stand mixer, mix the flour with the powdered sugar, add the whole eggs and beaten yolks together, then add the baking powder, vinegar, salt, and milk.
Knead for a couple of minutes, then add the soft butter, lemon zest, and vanilla; work everything for a few minutes to obtain a smooth and homogeneous dough.
Cover with cling film and place in the fridge for 12 hours.
The next day, roll out the dough with the pasta machine. Start from the first setting and reach the last one (n.6), it must be very thin, less than 1/25 inch.
Using the fluted wheel cutter, cut out rectangles and make a small incision in the center.Pour plenty of oil into a large pan and heat it to 338°F. Fry 2 or 3 fritters at a time, cooking them for a few seconds on each side.
Drain them well and place them on a tray with paper towels so they lose excess oil.
Let them cool completely and sprinkle with powdered sugar.
The Luca Montersino’s Carnival Fritters are ready.
Advice
Storage
The Luca Montersino’s fritters remain crunchy and light for 3/4 days in a cool and dry place.
*********************
For advice on making recipes, contact me on FACEBOOK and if you like, follow me on INSTAGRAM
Send me your photos, I will be happy to publish them on my socials
