Fried Archives - Dinner in Venice

Orecchie di Amman (Hamman’s Ears)

March 1, 2012 By dinnerinvenice Leave a Comment

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Orecchie di Amman (Hamman’s Ears)

Read my article in The Forward about the history of Purim among Italian Jews (click here).

Orecchie di Amman (Hamman’s Ears)(Dairy or Parve)

Ingredients

¼ cup sugar
2 ¾ cups flour
a pinch of salt
2 eggs
4 tablespoons grappa, rum or marsala
3 tablespoons milk (or rice milk or orange juice for a parve version)
¼ cup butter (or 3 tablespoons very mild olive oil or seed oil for parve)
mild olive oil or seed oil for frying
confectioner’s sugar to decorate

Directions

Sift the flour with salt and form a well on your working surface.

Add the softened butter, the eggs, the sugar and the liqueur.

Knead well with your hands until smooth and elastic. If it’s not soft enough, add little milk or juice; if it’s too soft, add a little flour.

Allow to rest covered for 15 minutes.

Roll very thin with a rolling pin (you can also use a pasta machine to make sheets of dough).

With a sharp knife, cut into rectangles about 3”x5”, and pinch the two top corners together to give them the shape of a pointy animal ear.

You can also simply cut the dough into tall triangles with slightly curved sides, like a donkey’s ear, or make thinner stripes (about 1” x 5”) and twirl them slightly to shape into a more human-looking ear.

Heat abundant oil in a large pan with tall sides, and wait until when a small piece of bread dropped into the oil begins to sizzle.

Fry the “orecchie” in several batches, few at a time, until light gold, approximately 1-2 minutes.

Remove with a slotted spoon and drain well on triple layers of paper towel.

Sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar and serve accompanied by a sparkling white wine.

https://dinnerinvenice.com/2012/03/01/orecchie-di-amman-hammans-earsdairy-or-parve/

Filed Under: Dairy, Desserts, Holiday Food, Jewish Italian Cuisine, Non-Dairy, Purim, Traditional Tagged With: cucina ebraica, dairy, dessert, Fried, Jewish holiday, kosher Italian, Purim

Hanukkah Treats with Sambuca and Honey

December 8, 2011 By dinnerinvenice Leave a Comment

The festival of Hanukkah celebrates the rededication of the Temple of Jerusalem, which had been looted and desecrated by the soldiers of Syrian-Greek King Antiochus IV Epiphanes in the second century BCE. Mattityahu, a Jewish priest, and his five sons, led a successful rebellion against Antiochus, which resulted in the rededication of the Temple by Mattityahu’s son, Yehudah the Maccabee, in 166 BCE. The Talmud reports that the menorah in the Temple was required to burn every night, but there was only enough oil for one night left: however, the menorah burned for eight days on that little oil, giving the Jews enough time to procure more. The oil used for lighting the menorah was pure, extra-virgin, cold-pressed olive oil, which may explain why Hanukkah resonates so deeply with Italian Jews, inspiring them to create a deluge of mouthwatering recipes

While the miracle of the oil is described in the Talmud, the Book of Maccabees makes no mention of it, stating only that an eight day celebration was proclaimed upon re-dedication of the temple: therefore, a number of historians believe that the reason for the eight day festival was simply that the first Hanukkah was a belated celebration of the harvest holidays of Sukkot and Shemini Azeret, which the Jews had not been able to observe during the war. Obviously, the two explanations are not mutually exclusive, and Hanukkah can very well celebrate the miracle of the oil while also absorbing the previous holiday.

In this spirit, here is a delicious fried treat that incorporates the oil, and the honey (a recurrent symbol that appears on our tables from Rosh haShana to Shemini Azeret): for holiness, and sweetness. And Sambuca… just for fun!

Print
Hanukkah Treats with Sambuca and Honey (Dairy)

Ingredients
5 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
a pinch of salt
3/4 stick unsalted butter
1/3 cup Sambuca (or Arak or other Anise liquor)
4 cups pastry or 00 flour (but you can also use all-purpose)
1 package baking powder (16 gr)
1 cup honey
mild olive oil or peanut oil for frying
Directions
Beat 4 whole eggs and one yolk with the sugar; add the melted butter (warm), the liquor and a pinch of salt.
Combine the flour with the baking powder, and sift them over the egg mixture, stirring constantly until everything is combined.
Transfer the mixture onto a floured surface and knead until smooth.
Form a ball, cover it with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for one hour.
Roll it into a disc about 0.5 mm thick and cut into shapes with a cookie cutter.
Pour plenty of oil in a wide, heavy pan with tall sides – the oil should be at least 3” high, and stop at least 2? from the top of the pan. The oil is hot enough when a piece of bread dropped into the pan is immediately surrounded by many little bubbles, but does not burn quickly.
Fry the shapes in small batches (if you put too much food into the pan at the same time, the temperature of the frying oil will drop, causing the fritters to absorb fat), turning them quickly so that they brown on both sides.
Remove them with a slotted spoon, and dry on a double layer of paper towel.
Melt the honey in a saucepan with 3 or 4 tablespoons of water.
Arrange the sweets on dessert plates, drizzle them with the honey, and serve.
Serves 6-8
3.1
https://dinnerinvenice.com/2011/12/08/hanukkah-treats-with-sambuca-and-honey-dairy/

Filed Under: Dairy, Desserts, Hanukkah, Jewish Italian Cuisine Tagged With: cucina ebraica, dairy, dessert, Fried, Hanukkah, honey, Jewish holiday, kosher Italian, olive oil

Sfenz – Libyan Hanukkah Fritters

December 6, 2011 By dinnerinvenice Leave a Comment

Sfenz- Libyan Hanukkah Fritters (Parve)

Jewish Italian food has been a tradition for over 2000 years – but it still continues to evolve, even in recent times. The Jewish exodus from Libya in the late 1960es brought about 5000 Libyan Jews to Rome, and their earthy dishes are yet another extraordinary influence on our culinary kaleidoscope. I reached out to my friends at Labna, one of my favorite Italian food blogs, and Jasmine shared these yummy pancakes, a traditional recipe from the Libyan side of her family. Jasmine tells us that in her grandparents’ house the kitchen was usually her grandmother’s realm -she was always the one cooking, and her grandfather only walked in there to obtain coffee. But every year on Hanukkah, Jasmine’s grandfather would wake up early, brave the kitchen and prepare the Sfenz, the traditional water-flour pancakes, like they used to make in Tripoli: a few minutes of easy kneading, a couple of hours of rest, and a dive into the hot oil…. for a most irresistible breakfast. Enjoy Labna‘s special treat!

Sfenz – Libyan Hanukkah Fritters (Parve)

Ingredients

1 pound pastry flour or 00 flour (you can use all-purpose, but the result will be heavier)
1 cube fresh yeast, or 1 tablespoon dry yeast
1 cup water, or enough for a soft, elastic dough
enough oil for deep frying (peanut or canola)
confectioner’s sugar to decorate

Directions

Place the flour in a large bowl or your stand mixer.

In a second bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water, and add the mix to the flour.

Combine well with your hands, or process in the mixer into a soft, elastic, slightly sticky dough.

Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and allow to rest in a warm area for about one hour.

Now knead again quickly with your hands, and allow to rest for one more hour.

Place the bowl with the dough next to the stovetop, and fill a second bowl with warm water.

Heat abundant oil in a heavy pot with tall sides; when the oil is hot, wet your hands, take a small ball of dough and pull it with your hands into a small “pancake” shape. It’s OK if by doing so you create a few “holes” in the middle.

Wet your hands after making each sfenz, so that the dough won’t stick to your fingers.

Fry the sfenz in the oil, one at a time or in small batches, turning them once.

Remove them with a slotted spoon when they are golden, and drain them on a double layer of kitchen towel.

Serve them hot after decorating them with confectioner’s sugar.

Serves 6-8

https://dinnerinvenice.com/2011/12/06/sfenz-libyan-hanukkah-fritters-parve/

Filed Under: Desserts, Hanukkah, Jewish Italian Cuisine Tagged With: Chanukah, cucina ebraica, dessert, Fried, Hanukkah, history, Italian, kosher Italian, Lybian, Non-Dairy, pancake, parve, Sfenz

Venetian Fritters

December 6, 2011 By dinnerinvenice 1 Comment

Venetian Fritters (Parve)

Ingredients

4 scarce cups 00, pastry or AP flour
25 gr active yeast
1/3 cup sugar
½ cup liquor, such as rhum or grappa
1/2 cup sultana or raisins
1/3 cup pine nuts
grated zest of one orange
1 ½ tablespoons candied citron (or lemon)
pinch of salt
1/2 cup warm water
abundant oil for frying (a mild olive oil or peanut oil)
powder sugar to decorate

Directions

Soak the raisins in the liquor for for 30 minutes, and drain well.

Dissolve the yeast in warm water (never use cold water!); add 1/2 of the flour and allow to rest for 30 minutes in a warm area.

Combine with the rest of the ingredients into a batter just slightly thicker than waffle batter.

Allow to rest for 3 hours.

Heat at least 3” of peanut or mild olive oil in a wide heavy pan with tall sides, and fry by dropping spoonfuls of the batter into the hot oil. Do not drop too many spoonfuls at the same time, or they will stick to each other and also cool down the oil, with a greasy and soggy result.

Fry in batches until golden brown, draining on a double or triple layer of paper towel.

Dust with sugar and serve immediately.

Buon appetito!

https://dinnerinvenice.com/2011/12/06/venetian-fritters-parve/

Filed Under: Desserts, Hanukkah, Jewish Italian Cuisine, Purim Tagged With: carnival, Chanukah, cucina ebraica, dessert, Fried, fritters, Hanukkah, Italian, kosher Italian, Non-Dairy, olive oil, pastry, Venice

Holy Pumpkin Fritters

December 5, 2011 By dinnerinvenice Leave a Comment

Holy Pumpkin Fritters (Parve)

Pumpkin arrived in Italy after the discovery of the Americas, and Northern Italian Jews liked it so much that in Venice we called it “suca baruca” (holy pumpkin, from the Hebrew “baruch”). When pumpkin made its appearance, Venice in general -and Jewish Venice in particular – was a crossroad of peoples and cultures, in which countless examples of what we would now call “Fusion” cuisine came to life. These fritters, which include spices and candied fruit, are a great example! I also contributed this recipe for a guest post on my friends’ lovely Italian blog Labna, which you should check out (especially if you read Italian!)…. and stay tuned for Labna’s own awesome guest post here, coming tomorrow!!!!!

Holy Pumpkin Fritters (Parve)

Ingredients

1 pound pumpkin or butternut squash, cleaned and diced small
2 eggs
grated zest of 2 oranges
¾ cup of sugar and a pinch of salt
1 and ½ cups flour
½ package (8 gr) baking powder
½ teaspoon cinnamon, if liked
1/3 cup Raisins or Sultanas
1/3 cup pine nuts
1/3 cup candied etrog or lemon (if you don’t like it, skip & increase raisins & pine nuts)
Olive oil or peanut oil for deep-frying, at least 3 cups or more
Confectioner’s sugar for decorating

Directions

Plump the raisins in a cup of warm water. Chop the candied etrog or lime or lemon.

Place the diced squash in a large platter and cover almost completely, leaving a small opening for the steam to come out, and microwave on high for 10 minutes or until very tender.

Beat the eggs in a food processor with the sugar, salt, cinnamon, orange zest; add the cooked squash and process until smooth.

Drain and dry the raisins, and add them to the mix.

Transfer to a large bowl and gradually add the flour (sifted with the baking powder), using an electric or manual whisk.

In a frying pan, heat the olive oil to frying temperature (you can test it by dropping a small piece of bread in the oil: if bubbles form around the bread, the temperature is right).

Take the batter with a tablespoon, filling it to about ½, and push the batter into the oil with your index finger or a second spoon.

Fry in small batches until golden all over, turning to cook evenly.

Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer onto a platter lined with several layers of paper towels.

Sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar and serve warm.

Serves 6

https://dinnerinvenice.com/2011/12/05/holy-pumpkin-fritters/

Filed Under: Comfort food, Desserts, Hanukkah, Holiday Food, Jewish Italian Cuisine, Non-Dairy Tagged With: Chanukah, cucina ebraica, dessert, Fried, Hanukkah, Italian, kosher Italian, Non-Dairy, pumpkin, Venice Carnival

Apple Fritters with Moscato Wine

December 4, 2011 By dinnerinvenice Leave a Comment

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.

Apple Fritters with Moscato Wine (Parve)

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/

Filed Under: Desserts, Hanukkah, Holiday Food, Jewish Italian Cuisine, Non-Dairy Tagged With: Chanukah, cucina ebraica, dessert, Fried, Hanukkah, history, kosher Italian, Non-Dairy, olive oil, parve

Stuffed and Fried Zucchini Flowers

March 30, 2011 By dinnerinvenice Leave a Comment

Stuffed Fried Zucchini Flowers (Dairy)

Stuffed and Fried Zucchini Flowers (Dairy)

Ingredients

12 zucchini flowers
1/2 cup of COLD dry white wine (120ml)
1 large Italian mozzarella ball, cut into strips
3 tablespoons parmigiano cheese
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup pastry flour (best) or all-purpose flour
extra virgin olive oil for frying
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Check inside the flowers for bugs and shake them out.

Wash the flowers very carefully or they will break.

Dry well with paper towel without rubbing. leave for a few minutes on paper towel so the inside will dry out as well.

Stuff each flower with a strip of mozzarella. If you eat fish with dairy (**many Jews of Sephardic and Italian origins do not) add an anchovy fillet.

If you don't, salt the mozzarella and add a touch of parmigiano cheese and maybe nutmeg.

For the batter, mix eggs, all purpose flour and wine together until smooth and even (a whisk works best).

Heat up the extra virgin olive oil in a deep pot, at least 3" deep, until hot; test it by throwing a small piece of bread in it - lots of small bubbles should form around it, but it should not burn.

Gently coat the stuffed flowers with batter.

Fry until golden brown. Place on several layers of paper towel to absorb the excess oil and immediately season with salt.

The flowers can also be fried in the same batter without stuffing, sprinkled with sugar and served as a dessert (a delightful idea for Purim and Hanukkah!)

https://dinnerinvenice.com/2011/03/30/stuffed-and-fried-zucchini-flowers-dairy/

Filed Under: Appetizer, Comfort food, Dairy, Side Dish, Vegetarian Tagged With: appetizer, cucina ebraica, cuisine, dairy, easy, First course, Fried, kosher Italian, mozzarella, quick, quick & easy Italian, stuffed, zucchini

Orecchie di Amman (Hamman’s Ears)

Hanukkah Treats with Sambuca and Honey

Sfenz – Libyan Hanukkah Fritters

Venetian Fritters

Holy Pumpkin Fritters

Apple Fritters with Moscato Wine

Stuffed and Fried Zucchini Flowers

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Orecchie di Amman (Hamman’s Ears)

Hanukkah Treats with Sambuca and Honey

Sfenz – Libyan Hanukkah Fritters

Venetian Fritters

Holy Pumpkin Fritters

Apple Fritters with Moscato Wine

Stuffed and Fried Zucchini Flowers

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