Carnival: never has the saying "Semel in anno licet insanire" (once a year, it is permitted to go mad) seemed more fitting for a city in celebration. It's not just about masks, but also about sweet treats that bring joy to those with a sweet tooth, and even to those who usually shy away from excess calories. It's truly impossible to resist the sweet temptations in the form of "Frittelle", the authentic Venetian ones, filled with cream or zabaglione, castagnole, or galani—whether thin or thick, baked or fried in oil and sprinkled with a delicate but incredible dusting of powdered sugar, perhaps lightly scented with vanilla...
The "Fritola", which held the scepter of popular confectionery, was not only made in homes and pastry shops but also crafted in the various streets of the city, mostly within square-shaped wooden shacks.
Even today, the city chases after its aromas, the festivity is in the air, and all shops partake in this collective ritual that seems to mock Lent. In every pastry shop, wherever you are, trays full of frittelle beckon to the senses of both the customer and the passerby, who might only resist the temptation of a tiny indulgence if they were emulating an ascetic.
Frittelle, too, have their rules, and without being taste philologists, we prefer those prepared as if each one were the only possible experience.
Try those with Tonolo's cream, sublimely indisputable, or the Galani from Andrea Zanin, or the Veneziane from Rosa Salva. And what about those from Rizzardini, Gobbetti, or those from Didovich, Puppa, Dal Mas, and Rizzo... In short, a list of Venice's pastry shops and bakers would follow. The challenge could be tied to finding the worst and greasiest fritola, the most tasteless galano, with the messiest powdered sugar... I won't say it's impossible to find, but for once, we can affirm that the average quality is high.
Moreover, few know that frittelle can be frozen and then reheated in the microwave; certainly, they're not as good as freshly made, but they manage to retain their dignity, in case of Lenten abstinence...
Well, then, as we say here in Venice "Ea fritoa xe sempre ea fritoa…"
The Venetian "Fritoe"
Ingredients for 4 people:
12 g of fresh yeast
200 g of flour
40 g of raisins
40 g of pine nuts
40 g of candied citron
Approximately 350 g of vegetable oil
40 g of granulated sugar
16 g of powdered sugar
Approximately 0.5 cl of grappa or rum
Preparation:
In a concave container, dissolve the yeast in a little warm water with the granulated sugar. Add the grappa and incorporate the flour, adding the necessary amount of water.
Mix the dough well until air bubbles form on the surface. Then cover it with a towel and let it rise in a warm place.
When the dough has at least doubled in size, fold in the raisins, chopped candied citron, and pine nuts.
Fry the dough in hot oil and drain the frittelle on absorbent paper. Arrange them on a serving plate in a pyramid shape, dust with powdered sugar, and serve while still hot.
from Tonolo Pastry Shop
Dorsoduro 3764
di Fabio Marzari
:venews febbraio 2007
