| CATEGORY |
CUISINE |
TAG |
YIELD |
| Grains, Dairy, Eggs |
Italian |
Hannukah |
6 |
Servings |
INGREDIENTS
| 1 |
|
Butternut squash or pumpkin; (about 1- 1/4 lbs.) |
| 2 |
c |
Milk; or as needed |
| 1 1/2 |
c |
All-purpose flour; or as needed |
| 2 |
ts |
Baking soda; dissolved in: |
| 2 |
ts |
Water |
| 2 |
|
Eggs |
| 1 |
pn |
Salt |
| 2/3 |
c |
Granulated sugar; or to taste |
|
|
Grated zest of 1-2 oranges |
| 1/2 |
c |
Candied citron; cut into small dice |
| 1/3 |
c |
Golden raisins |
| 1/2 |
c |
Pine nuts; toasted |
|
|
Peanut oil; for deep frying |
|
|
Confectioner's sugar; for topping |
INSTRUCTIONS
Halve the squash or pumpkin, scoop out and discard the seeds and fibers,
peel, and cut into 1/2- inch dice. You should have 3 to 3- 1/2 cups. Place
in a saucepan, add milk to cover, and place over medium heat. Bring to a
simmer and cook until the squash breaks down into a smooth puree, about 30
minutes. Don't worry if the mixture looks curdled; it will smooth out.
Stir in the 1- 1/2 cups flour and continue to stir until the mixture is
thick, about 5 minutes, adding more flour as needed to bind. Beat in the
dissolved baking soda, and then the eggs, one at a time, beating well after
each addition. Add the salt, granulated sugar, orange zest, citron, raisins
and pine nuts. Remove from the heat. Let stand for about 15 minutes until
most of the moisture has been absorbed.
Pour oil to a depth of 3- inches in a deep frying pan or wok and heat to
375 degrees F. In batches, drop the batter by small (1- inch diameter)
teaspoonfuls into the hot oil. (These should not be too large or the center
will not cook.) Fry until golden, 3 to 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon,
transfer to paper towels to drain briefly. Keep warm until all the fritters
are cooked.
Arrange the fritters on a platter and sift a heavy dusting of
confectioner's sugar over the top. Eat while hot or very warm.
Notes: Italian Jews commemorate Hannukah by the eating of fried foods such
as these fritters which are served as a dessert.
Hint from Ms. Goldstein: It's may not always easy to find a squash that
weighs exactly 1- 1/4 pounds. Just make sure the cubed squash is covered
with milk and add enough flour so that the mixture is similar to the
consistency of sour cream. Since squashes vary in sweetness, adjust the
sugar to personal taste.
Cucina Ebraica- Flavors of the Italian Jewish Kitchen by Joyce Goldstein
Chronicle Books, San Francisco, CA 1998 ISBN: 0-8118-1969-8
Recipe by: Cucina Ebraica by Joyce Goldstein p. 137
Posted to JEWISH-FOOD digest by Linda Shapiro <lss@coconet.com> on Nov 24,
1998, converted by MM_Buster v2.0l.
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