All over Italy, there are no Carnival celebrations without some crispy fried dessert, the ones on the photo above, which represent the real taste of a true Italian Carnevale for both children and adults alike. But what is the name of this dessert?
Well, they have several names depending on the area you get them from: chiacchere in the South of Italy and in Milan, frappe in Rome, Viterbo and Ancona, crostoli in Ferrara, Vicenza, Trentino and Friuli Venezia Giulia, bugiein Liguria and Piedmont, cenci in Tuscany, maraviglias in Sardinia and galani in Venice.
Although, all these names refer to the same dish, recipes can also vary from region to region, from city to city. Today, we propose a recipe for the original Venitian version: Galani, the main protagonists of the colourful Venice Carnival. These delicious treats of the Venetian culinary tradition are a must on every table during the carnival season. Here is the Vecio Fritolin’s recipe for an easy to make, light and savoury treat.
Ingredients for 4:
500g plain flour (100g extra to knead dough on pastry board), 5 egg yolks, 110g caster sugar, 50g of icing sugar, one shot glass of Grappa, a glass of Prosecco (or other white dry sparkling wine), a packet of vanilla flavoured backing powder, a pinch of table salt, 25g butter at room temperature, one lemon (the rind of one lemon).
Preparation method:
On the pastry board (or in a small planetary mixer), combine flour, caster sugar and vanilla baking powder; blend together and add the pinch of salt. Rub the mixture until it resembles breadcrumbs and add the egg yolks, Grappa and lemon rind. Mix all ingredients until thoroughly combined, and then drizzle in the Prosecco to obtain a smooth and elastic dough that blisters from the bowl (or from the pastry board). Form dough into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap; set aside to rest in a cool place for two hours.
Divide dough into balls each the size of a mandarin. Roll each ball out thinly into strips through the dough rollers of a pasta maker. Cut the strips into 10cm squares and deep-fry in hot peanut oil at 160°C until golden brown. Drain well on paper towels and sprinkle with icing sugar. Now the galani are ready to be served.
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Il Vecio Fritolin
Calle della Regina 2262
Sestiere Santa Croce 30135
Venezia Tel. +39.041. 5222881
E-mail : info@veciofritolin.it
Website : www.veciofritolin.it
Opening times: 12.00 - 14.30, 19.00 - 22.30
Closed on Monday and Tuesday lunch time.
