There are all sorts of Carnival (Mardi Gras) pastries in Italy. Semolina provides an especially tasty base for making the batter, because it's neutral enough that the other ingredients -- apples, almonds, raisins, and orange -- can really shine. Because of this, you are certain to find semolina fritters everywhere come Carnevale.
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 (1 liter) quart milk
- 1 3/4 cups + 1 tablespoon (300 g) semolina
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- The grated zest of an orange
- 1/2 cup (100 g) sugar
- 1/3 cup raisins
- 1/3 cup slivered almonds
- 1 flavorful apple, peeled, cored and diced
- 5 yolks
- Flour
- Sugar for dusting
- Salt
- Oil for frying
Preparation:
Bring the milk to a boil with the orange zest and the vanilla. Stir in 1/2 cup sugar and the semolina, and cook for 10 minutes over a moderate flame, stirring constantly. Stir in the raisins, almonds and apple, then remove the mixture from the fire and stir in the yolks. Let the batter cool (it will be fairly stiff), form it into 1 1/2 inch by half-inch sausages, roll them in flour, and fry them. Dust them with granulated sugar when they are cool and serve.
