A small wooden cabin looks oddly placed in Siena’s Piazza del Campo,
but for those in the knowm it is a tradition not to be missed
In Italy, Saint Joseph’s day in March is celebrated as Father’s day
( get it, God’s father)
To celebrate we eat fried rice fritters.
Usually this coincides with carnival ( mardi gras) which is also fried foods.
Tuscan Rice fritters are the BEST.
here is my recipe.
Frittelle di Riso
(Rice Fritters)
400 gr- 2 cups short grain rice, Arborio
1 liter- 4 cups milk
4 tablespoons sugar
Peel of one lemon ,grated (zest, only the yellow part)
1 ounce liqueur (sherry, brandy,rum or amaretto)
80 gr – 3/4cup flour
1 tablespoon baking powder ( lievito in polvere)
Pinch of salt
3 eggs, separated
Bring the rice to a slow boil in the milk with sugar and lemon zest.
Stir occasionally to avoid the rice sticking.
When the rice is cooked, it will have absorbed all the milk.
Place the rice in large bowl, add the liqueur, egg yolks, flour, baking powder, and salt.
Mix well and let cool. DO NOT REFRIGERATE.
Whip the egg whites still stiff. Fold whites into the rice mixture.
In a heavy pan, heat 3 inches of oil for frying.
I prefer olive oil, but corn oil is fine.
Drop the fritters by teaspoons into the hot oil.
Fry quickly and remove when they are golden.
Do not brown.
Drain on paper towels and serve sprinkled with granulated sugar.
They are best hot, but can also be served cold or reheated.
I like to add raisins soaked in brandy to the mixture, or tiny pieces of candied orange peel.
These guys have it down, they hold a small metal plate for portioning
and slide the dough right into the oil.
They go so fast that the fritters cook together like small biscuits
( see the fritters in the front?)
They are the size of my old favorites, doughnut holes.
They are sprinkled with sugar and sold by number, 4 for 1 euro.
When I got home, we grilled up the new red onions from the market and served them on a orange salad, inspired from a dinner in Ortygia.
They had served us grille prawns on sliced blood oranges, peel and all.
the blood oranges are used for juice and have very thin skin.
Another great day!
Stop by my other blog for updates on my pork aging project,
I am trying to make Capocollo!
