In this day of low-fat and low-carb eating, most of us still can't resist the fried morsel. The fritter, a fragment of fried batter or batter enclosed bits of fruit, vegetable or seafood, never ceases to please the palate. Fritters, often considered a Southern delicacy, are prepared in various forms all over the world. In Italy, friggitorias can be found in most villages. These shops offer an array of fried delights encased in golden brown crusts that can be eaten on the spot or taken home to enjoy at one's leisure. Quaglie, breaded eggplant that resembles the tail of a quail, arancine, the "little oranges" of mincemeat encased in a rice shell, panelle, a flat fritter made from chickpea flour, pituni, fried turnovers with a tasty mixture of escarole, mozzarella, anchovies and onions inside and Sicily's famous cazzilli. The mixed fry called fritto misto, offering a mixture of vegetables and seafood, closely resembles Japan's tempura. France has its beignets and oreillettes de Toulouse or "little pigs ears", served on Shrove Tuesday. In India, one finds pakoris, tasty little vegetable fritters often served at teatime. Indonesians munch on spicy corn fritters called pergedel djagung and the bollo, a black-eyed pea fritter is of Cuban origin. One of my favorites is the corn oyster. Resembling a fried oyster, these light corn fritters are a delicious accompaniment to chicken, but I prefer them for breakfast drizzled with maple syrup. Fritters can be made from almost anything,familiar favorites using minced ham, clams, oysters, corn or apples. Using a simple egg batter or with beaten egg whites to lighten the texture, fritters are either deep fried in hot fat at 390* ( to test the heat, a bread cube should brown in 40 seconds }, or sautéed in a minimum of oil and/or butter. Don't crowd the pan. When they are golden, transfer to paper towels to drain. Although best eaten right away, they can be reheated and in some cases, frozen for later use. Corn Oysters
To make 2 dozen fritters, scrape the kernels and pulp from 5 to 7 ears of fresh corn to yield 2 1/2 cups. Whisk together 3 egg yolks with 3 tablespoons of all- purpose flour and 1/2 teaspoon of salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Stir in the corn. Beat 3 egg whites to soft peaks and gently fold half into the corn mixture. Repeat with remaining whites. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil and 1 tablespoon of butter. when foam subsides, drop batter by heaping tablespoonful into hot fat and fry turning once, until crisp and brown. Clam Fritters I
Mix 2 cups finely chopped clams with 2 well beaten egg yolks, 1 cup cracker crumbs, 1 tablespoon finely minced parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. Add a good pinch of cayenne and enough clam juice to make a heavy batter. Fold in 3 stiffly beaten egg whites. Drop batter by spoonfuls into hot fat in skillet and cook until brown on both sides. Clam Fritters II Stir together, 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt, Mix in 4 tablespoons melted butter and 3 lightly beaten egg yolks. Gradually blend in 3/4 cup of beer and let stand for 1 hour. Add 2 cups of finely chopped clams and 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley. Beat 3 egg whites stiff and stir a small amount into the clam batter, then fold in the rest. Heat 4 tablespoons butter in a skillet, when hot, drop batter by spoonfuls and brown on both sides. Makes about 3 dozen 2 1/2 inch fritters. |
