Ricotta Fritters

These melt in your mouth Ricotta Fritters are surprisingly quick and easy to make... a quick mix of the batter and drop then in hot oil for a quick fry... they only need about 2-3 minutes to cook... it's that easy!

Now I know frying is not a usual thing here at Cooking Tip of the Day... but occasionally I do like to make something like this.. only when the end product is not greasy.. and this is not...

This recipe is from an old Gourmet recipe by Lillian Chou.   The original recipe says you get 3 dozen fritters... I got only about 2 dozen and mine were not too large...

TIPS

Because I used a bottle of oil I had... I knew exactly how much oil was in my pot... after cooking... I removed any tiny pieces of stray dough... and used a funnel to put the oil back into bottle... I noticed only a tiny amount was missing... very tiny amount..

I used about 48 oz oil in a large deep pot.. you could probably use a bit less... you want it about 2 inches deep.

The key to frying without it saturating your food into a greasy mess is frying at the proper temperature. 

The small investment in a good frying/candy thermometer is well worth it.  It clips on the side of the pot... and when it gets to the right temp... you can start cooking.  It also helps you regulate the heat... if the temperature starts getting too high you can easily adjust the heat ... so you don't overcook your food either.

I used a measuring tablespoon to measure what I was dropping into the hot oil... the dough is a bit sticky so I had a coffee spoon to help drop the batter off the measuring spoon.  A small melon baller or cookie scoop that is about 1 tablespoon size (one that looks like a tiny ice cream scoop) would work well.. I never thought of it until I was almost done...

Once your oil reaches the correct temperature... start scooping... I honestly couldn't scoop fast enough before the ones already in the pot needed to be rolled over for a quick minute and then removed... it was that quick... so have your plate lined with paper towel ready when you start.

Allow them to cool for about 5-10 minutes... by the time you're done cooking them... the first ones are ready to eat (the cook always gets the first ones... after all you have to try them... right?)

The original recipe listed whole milk ricotta, as other recipes do, I had only part skim ricotta in the house... and used that instead and it worked fine.

If you are serving these for guests... figure about 3 (assuming you make them the size I did) for each person.

This delicately flavored fritter makes a simple yet delicious dessert... just a little powdered sugar sifted over them is all you need... trust me!

Recipe:  Ricotta Fritters

All you need:

Oil for frying *See TIPS

3/4 cup flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup whole milk ricotta *See TIPS

2 eggs, lightly beaten

2 tablespoons sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon lemon zest

Confectioner's sugar

All you need to do:

Put the oil in a large deep pot and heat to 370 degrees F.

While the oil heats, in a small bowl mix the flour, baking powder, lemon zest and salt with a whisk, to mix evenly.

In medium bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar, ricotta and vanilla.  Add the flour mixture and whisk until smooth.

When oil reaches 370 degrees, drop a tablespoon of batter at a time into the hot oil.  Watch carefully as they brown, roll them over to brown evenly.  When they are golden brown, remove them from the oil to a plate lined with paper towel.  Cool.

Sift confectioner's sugar over them and serve.