Frittelle di MeleApple Fritters

Core the apples and slice into 8 mm rings

• 1 Peel 2 apples and remove the core straight through the center using a corer or paring knife.
• 2 On a cutting board, slice into 8 mm-thick rings, 4–5 per 1 apple and 8–10 in total.
• 3 Remove any remaining seeds or hard core fibers with the knife tip.

Marinate in grappa and lemon

• 1 Meanwhile(During the 15-minute marinade) make the batter base in the next step.
• 2 Grate only the yellow zest of 1 lemon, avoiding the white pith, and divide equally between marinade and batter.
• 3 Arrange the apple rings in a single layer on a tray and drizzle evenly with 15 ml grappa, 15 ml lemon juice and the marinade portion of zest.
• 4 Turn each ring to coat both sides, cover with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature for 15 minutes.

Mix and rest the batter base

• 1 Meanwhile(During the 15-minute batter rest) put 50 g finishing sugar and 3 g cinnamon in a tray and whisk until evenly colored.
• 2 Meanwhile(Meanwhile) prepare a draining tray with a rack and kitchen paper.
• 3 Separate 1 egg into yolk and white in different bowls; the white’s bowl must be free of water and fat.
• 4 Add 100 ml cold milk, 20 g granulated sugar, 1 g fine salt, 5 ml grappa and the reserved batter zest to the yolk, and whisk for 30 seconds until the sugar dissolves.
• 5 Add 110 g sifted cake flour, keeping 10 g for dusting, in 2 additions. Each time whisk from the center outward until no dry flour remains.
• 6 Cover and rest at room temperature for 15 minutes.

Heat the frying oil to 170–175°C

• 1 Pour 800 ml frying oil into a deep pot about 16 cm in diameter. It should be about 4 cm deep and no higher than half the pot’s height.
• 2 Heat over medium heat with a thermometer in the center until it reaches 170–175°C.
• 3 If it exceeds 175°C, lower the heat; adjust to maintain this range thereafter.

Fold in whipped egg white to lighten the batter

• 1 Whip the reserved white at high speed with a hand mixer for 1 minute 30 seconds–2 minutes until the peaks stand straight.
• 2 Add 1/3 of the whipped white to the rested batter and whisk thoroughly to loosen it.
• 3 Add the remaining white in 2 additions, folding from the bottom with a rubber spatula until white streaks disappear.

Dry and flour the apple rings

• 1 Arrange the marinated apples on kitchen paper and lightly blot both sides with more paper.
• 2 Spread the reserved 10 g cake flour on a tray, lightly coat both sides of each ring and tap off excess with your fingers.

Fry both sides deep golden at 170–175°C

• 1 Spear 1 apple ring with a fork, dip into the batter to coat all over and remove excess against the tray edge.
• 2 Lower into oil at 170–175°C, adding only 1–2 rings at a time without overlap.
• 3 Fry for 2 minutes until the edges color, turn each carefully with cooking chopsticks and fry for another 1 minute 30 seconds–2 minutes until deep golden all over.
• 4 Lift onto the rack-lined tray to drain and return the oil to 170–175°C before adding the next 1–2 rings.
• 5 Fry all the remaining apples in the same way.

Coat in cinnamon sugar and serve warm

• 1 Put the freshly fried fritters into the prepared cinnamon sugar and turn to coat both sides and the entire surface.
• 2 Arrange on plates without overlapping while warm. Do not sprinkle on the cinnamon sugar left in the tray.