Bite the air
We'll explain how to prepare cream-filled fritters at home
PalmThe chandelier hanging in the middle of the dining room illuminated the entire space. For such a special day, they had unfurled the tablecloth and draped it with the embroidered linen. Toasted buns, vegetable tart, pound cake, bread rolls, olives, fritters... friends, neighbors, and relatives came and went, sat down, toasted, and laughed amidst the sounds of the past and many years. Once again, they would praise the cook's skillful hand, their faces still smeared with the fritters. The pastry, initially dry, softened with the cream and burst with flavor and lightness in the mouth. They toasted the saint and departed, passing the baton to others who arrived later in a circular farce that lasted well into the night. The glasses were half-empty, the plates were empty. The house fell silent, and the faint echo of the guests was swallowed by the shadows.
Fried doughs are probably one of the earliest forms of confectionery that existed. We know of some examples cooked in Ancient Greece and the Roman Empire. These were strips of stretched dough, cut into small portions, fried, and sweetened with honey. The Romans prepared sweets called globe either scriblitaeSmall balls of dough made from flour, cheese, or wheat flour, fried in oil or fat and then drizzled with honey, could be considered the direct ancestors of fritters. During the Middle Ages, with the expansion of the Islamic world, many pastry techniques spread throughout the Mediterranean. The Arabs perfected the use of olive oil, sugar, and fried sweets. It should be noted that this cooking method, as now, was considered very convenient for easy and healthy digestion. Once fried, the pastries were coated in sugar or drizzled with honey. Over time, sweet fried doughs found their way into monastic and popular kitchens. Already in the Book of Being Soviet (14th century) a recipe for fritters made with flour dough, egg yolks and cheese is recorded.
High regard in Mallorca
As for us, Friar Jaume Martí Oliver will attest in his recipe book to the great esteem in Mallorca for this type of sweet. The range of recipes in his manuscript is a good testament to this, with recipes as different as rice pudding fritters, fritters of suddenly Fried fritters, good fritters, potato fritters, and light, airy fritters. Over time, some of these recipes will fall into oblivion, but not the light, airy fritters, a dish that has undergone certain transformations, especially in its cooking method, and which appears in almost every cookbook. The term 'airy' refers to their texture. Thanks to the cooking process, the fritters increase in volume and become light, airy, and hollow.
The earliest recipes we find in cookbooks aren't very precise regarding the quantities of ingredients. However, they are usually very explicit about how to use them to achieve the best results. This is something that doesn't often happen with other dishes, some of which are so poorly explained that it's difficult to predict the final outcome. Generally, fritters are made by scalding flour in a liquid. Once it has cooled, the eggs are added, one by one. After resting for a while, the batter is fried in batches with the help of a spoon and then coated with sugar. Over time, frying has been replaced by baking, a good alternative for a dessert that allows you to indulge without so much guilt.
For the fritters
125 g of water
125 g of milk
110 g of butter
1 5 g of sugar
1 pinch of salt
1 grated lemon peel
4 eggs
For the pastry cream
500 ml of milk
2 eggs
120 g of sugar
l 30 g of corn starch flour
1 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
1/2 cinnamon stick
First we will make the cream
To make the pastry cream, boil all but half a cup of the milk with the cinnamon and vanilla extract. Turn off the heat and let it steep until lukewarm.
Dissolve the cornstarch in the reserved milk. Beat the eggs with the sugar and add the milk with the cornstarch. Gradually pour in the infused milk. Strain and return to medium-low heat, stirring constantly until thickened. Let it cool, covering it with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface of the cream.
To make the fritters
We'll put the milk, water, sugar, salt, and butter in a saucepan. When it boils, we'll suddenly add the flour. We'll stir it until the paste pulls away from the sides of the pan. We'll let it cool slightly.
Add the eggs one at a time, making sure the first one is fully incorporated before adding the next. The mixture should be smooth and lump-free. When you lift the mixture with a spatula, it should form a pointed tip.
To fry the fritters, pour plenty of oil into a pan. When it's very hot, drop spoonfuls of batter into the oil and turn them until golden brown. Remove them and place them on paper towels to drain.
If we're baking them in the oven, we'll put the dough in a piping bag. We'll pipe small mounds and bake them at 190ºC for about 20 minutes, or until they're golden brown.
Once cooled, we fill them with the cream, sprinkle them with powdered sugar and serve them.