Sal de Riso’s Chiacchiere
The chiacchiere are one of the most beloved sweets of Carnival, an undisputed symbol of the period preceding Lent. After making the Massari’s chiacchiere and Biasetto’s, I want to propose the recipe of another great pastry chef, Salvatore de Riso.
His version is very simple and the result is really excellent, his chiacchiere are light, crisp, and delicate thanks to a perfect balance between the ingredients and the preparation. The recipe includes flour, sugar, butter, eggs, aromas, and liqueur, essential for making them light and not greasy; but it is the dough preparation, its resting, and the correct frying that make the difference between a well-done chiacchiera and one that is too heavy.
To obtain a crisp product that melts in your mouth, it is necessary to roll out the dough very thin and cook the frappe in hot oil at 340/350°F. Pay attention to the oil temperature; if it is not hot enough, the dough tends to absorb a lot of oil; conversely, if it is too hot, the dough will burn in a few seconds.
Preparing them requires attention and care, but the final result always pays off. Sal de Riso accompanies his chiacchiere with a chocolate cream he calls “cioccolaccio”, a name that evokes another preparation now forbidden, “sanguinaccio”.
Before proceeding, here are some Carnival recipes to try:
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: for 1 kg of chiacchiere
- Cooking methods: Frying
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Carnival
- Energy 547.01 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 64.01 (g) of which sugars 28.39 (g)
- Proteins 7.77 (g)
- Fat 30.22 (g) of which saturated 9.49 (g)of which unsaturated 19.42 (g)
- Fibers 1.26 (g)
- Sodium 220.59 (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
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup butter
- 3 eggs eggs (it's about 3 medium eggs but I recommend weighing them)
- 6 tbsps sugar
- 2 tbsps white wine
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 pod vanilla
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon (I didn't use it)
- 1 tsp orange zest (and lemon zest)
- 1 qt peanut oil
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
Tools
- 1 Work surface
- 1 Pasta machine
- 1 Fluted pastry wheel
- 1 Pan large
- 1 Tongs
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Hand whisk
Procedure
In a large bowl, mix the sugar with cinnamon (I didn’t use it), the seeds from the vanilla pod, salt, and citrus zest. Add the softened butter and incorporate it, then add the eggs and mix everything with a hand whisk. Finally, add the white wine. You should obtain a smooth and homogeneous batter.
Sift the flour and add it to the mixture.
Knead everything quickly so that the flour absorbs the liquids, then move to the work surface and knead the dough for about ten minutes (it should become firm and smooth).
Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rest for 1 hour at room temperature.
With the help of a pasta machine, roll out the dough very thin, about 1/25 inch thick.
Once you have rolled out the sheet, cut out rectangles and make a small cut in the center.Pour abundant oil into a large pan and heat it to 340°F. Fry 2 or 3 chiacchiere at a time, cooking them for a few seconds on each side.
Drain them well and place them on a tray lined with paper towels to absorb the excess oil.
Let them cool completely and sprinkle them with powdered sugar.
Sal de Riso’s chiacchiere are ready.
Tips
Storage
The Sal de Riso’s chiacchiere remain crisp and light for 3/4 days in a cool, dry place.
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