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Apple Fritters with Moscato Wine (Parve)
Contrary to popular belief, Italian Jews do not all descend from the Jews who arrived in Rome in the second century b.c.e., and from the Sephardim fleeing Spain and Portugal in the late fifteenth century. There have also been Ashkenazi Jews living in Northern Italy since as early as the Middle Ages. In Venice, in particular, Ashkenazim (“I Tedeschi”, as they were called) were the oldest Jewish community in the city. The name of the first Jewish quarter in Venice (and in the world), “ghetto”, possibly derives from the Germanic term “gitter” (iron grill). Even Moshe Chayim Luzzatto (the Ramchal), one of the most famous Italian rabbis in history, was a “Yekkishe Yid”! (the name Luzzatto is the Italian translation of the German Jewish name Lausitz). A lot of recipes reflect this ancient Ashkenazi influence, and one of my favorite examples is the apple fritters that we make for Hanukkah. One of the reasons I like them so much has nothing to do with history: since in Italy we also have the famous saying “An apple a day keeps the doctor away” (“Una mela al giorno toglie il medico di torno”), I feel that these must be really good for me even though they are deep-fried, and I indulge in second and third helpings. You can sprinkle them with cinnamon if you like, or serve them with a raspberry sauce for a refined chromatic effect.
Ingredients
- 4 or 5 apples
- 1 cup pastry flour, or all-purpose flour (heaped)
- a pinch of salt
- 1 egg
- 2 egg whites
- 1/3 cup moscato or sweet champagne
- peanut or mild olive oil for frying
- confectioner’s sugar and cinnamon for decorating
Directions
Place the flour in a bowl, add the egg and start whisking with a manual or electric whisk; slowly and gradually add the wine.
If the batter seems too thick, add a few more tablespoons of wine.
Cover and allow to rest for 30 minutes. Beat the egg whites until stiff, and gently incorporate them into the batter.
Peel the apples, core them without halving them, and slice them horizontally (the slices should be 1/4? to 1/3?max.)
Sprinkle with lemon juice.
Heat abundant oil in a deep-fryer or a large, heavy pan with tall sides. When the oil is ready (365 F, or when a small piece of bread dropped in the oil forms many small bubbles all around), dry the apple slices, dip them in the batter, and fry them until golden in small batches (max. 4 slices at a time, or the oil temperature will drop and they will absorb oil).
Dry them very well on a double or triple layer of paper towel, and sprinkle them with sugar (you can also add cinnamon).
Serve immediately!
Serves 6
https://dinnerinvenice.com/2011/12/04/apple-fritters-with-moscato-wine-parve/
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