This is the favorite treat of children—and adults—in Corsica, but it’s also the doughnut most sought after by tourists visiting the Isle of Beauty. There are even doughnut stands (or “fritelle”) on certain days of the week!
Today I’d like to share a recipe for brocciu fritters, a traditional Corsican dish made—as you may have guessed—with the island’s famous cheese, brocciu (which is also used to make the delicious fiadone ).
But if, by the time you decide to try this recipe, it’s no longer in season, use brousse cheese. The texture is almost the same. I strongly advise against using ricotta or any other cheese, because the texture and flavor won’t be the same at all.
The same goes for lemon peel: you can substitute orange zest or Corsican clementine zest. With that said, let’s get started on the brocciu fritters, following Alexandra Rogani’s simplified recipe (I’ve included the video below).
Ingredients:
- 250 grams of brocciu
- 180 grams of flour
- 2 eggs
- 1 untreated lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons of yeast
- Sunflower oil (for frying)
- Sugar (for dusting)
Before we go into detail about the recipe, you can watch this video, created by Alexandra Rogani:
Preparation:
To make Brocciu fritters, you have to start (logically enough) with the fritter batter. But you’ll see that we won’t be making the fritters the old-fashioned way—that is, with small pieces of Brocciu mixed into the batter—in order to save time and ensure they turn out perfectly.
In a bowl, mash the brocciu and add the eggs. Grate the zest of the lemon (or any other island citrus fruit) over the mixture. Then mix everything together until you have a smooth paste.
Stir in the flour and baking powder, and mix again—ideally with an electric mixer if you have one. Your batter should be light and free of lumps.
Heat the (clean) oil in a saucepan or deep fryer to a maximum temperature of 170°C.
Using two spoons, shape the dough into small balls about the size of a golf ball, and drop each ball of dough into the boiling oil until the fritter is golden brown. Don’t overfill your deep fryer!
Remove the fritters with a slotted spoon and place them on a plate lined with paper towels (to absorb the oil).
Finally, while they’re still hot or warm, roll the doughnuts in powdered sugar. Let them cool slowly before digging in. They’ll keep for 24 hours, no more.
