ZEPPOLE, frittelle di pasta cresciuta

Yes, it’s Christmas and it’s finally time for my grandmother Adelina’s zeppole, fried dough!

She loved to prepare them with fresh seaweed and serve them while all the family was gathering around the kitchen table to cook holiday meals. And of course, a generous glass of white wine made by grandfather was a must.

-serves 4 people-

15 gr active dry yeast 200 ml warm water 250 gr unbleached all-purpose flour

1 pinch of salt

sea weed * 3 salted Cetara anchovies* 1 lt peanut oil

*these ingredients can be substitute: fresh thyme, dried oregano, your own choice of seaweed, baccalà, sun dried tomatoes, capers, olives.

Zeppole dough is very similar to the pizza one, but more liquid.

Turn on only the light in your oven, this will make it warm but not hot.

In a bowl add yeast to the water. Let stand until creamy, about 2 minutes, and stir to dissolve the yeast.

Add flour and stir with a fork until a nice sticky dough forms.

Divide the dough in two separate bowls. Add seaweed and salt in one and stir. Add minced Cetara anchovies in the other and stir.

Cover the two bowls with plastic wrap and let rise in the warm oven for 2 hours. Dough will double rise.

In a deep saucepan, heat peanut oil.

Starting with the seaweed flavoured dough, use two tablespoons to scoop out the dough and drop it into the hot oil, by using one spoon to push the dough off of the other. Do this for about 4 zeppole at a time, do not crowd them in the pan.

Cook until golden brown and puffy, turning with a slotted spoon to fry evenly on all sides.

Remove the zeppole from the oil with the slotted spoon, and transfer to a plate or tray lined with paper towels to drain.

Serve hot.