Fritule
Croatian fritters are sweet fried pastry spiced with citrus notes and a shot of grappa (rakija)
Servings 8 people
Calories 340 kcal
Ingredients
- 500 g potatoes (1 lb)
- 200 g all-purpose flour (1 ⅓ cup)
- 7 g dry yeast (2 ¼ tsp)
- 50 ml warm water (¼ cup)
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 3 tbsp granulated sugar
- 70 ml Maraschino or rose liqueur (¼ cup)
- 30 ml rakija or vodka (2 tbsp)
- 50 g raisins (⅓ cup)
- 1 zest lemon and orange
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 l sunflower or canola oil for frying
- ½ cup powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Soak raisins in Maraschino, the sooner the better.
- Peel, cube and boil potatoes in lightly salted water. Drain well. Mash while still warm.
- Combine yeast, warm water, pinch of sugar and flour (both from original amounts) and let stand until activated (20 min). This is called yeast sponge.
- Whisk egg, egg yolk and sugar. Add to mashed potatoes and blitz with the immersion blender to get a smooth mixture.
- Add in plumped up raisins with Maraschino, rakija, yeast sponge, and lemon and orange zest. Stir to combine.
- Stir salt and cinnamon into flour and begin adding that into the main batter. Do it gradually and whisk in between.
- Using a wooden spoon, ‘beat’ the dough vigorously to make it smoother and to incorporate more air in. Do it until you see little bubbles on the surface. Or until your biceps burn like hell!
- Cover with cloth and let stand for 1 hour until it doubles in volume.
- Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan to moderate but even heat. Form tiny, bite-sized dough balls with 2 teaspoons and drop them in the hot oil. Fry in batches and don’t overcrowd the pan.
- Stir them frequently and fry them until they get crispy and dark golden. Place them on a paper towel.
- Serve warm and sprinkled with powdered sugar.
Nutrition
Calories: 340kcal