Savory fritters Sicilian-style
- 6 oz all-purpose flour
- 5 eggs
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon butter
- salt
- ham , diced
- 1 ¾ oz caciocavallo cheese , grated
In a pot – preferably a tin-plated copper pot – bring to the boil a mixture of water, salt and butter. As soon as it boils remove from heat and pour in the flour stirring with a wooden spoon. Put the pot back over the heat and stir to make a firm and smooth dough. When it is cooked it will come off the sides and bottom of the pot. Allow the dough to cool, then mix in the eggs, one at the time, stirring. Whn the dough forms bubbles, add the ham, caciocavallo cheese and a generous handful of parsley leaves. Leave to rest in a cool place. Put plenty of clarified pork fat and put over the heat. As soon as it is hot drop in small balls of dough, using a spoon, or small cylinders of dough dropping them from a pastry board. At the beginning the heat must be very low. Floating in the hot fat the fritters will turn. Remove the fritters with a skimmer, place them onto a plate covered in straw paper to drain the excess fat and serve hot.