makes
20
prep
20 minutes
cook
30 minutes
difficulty
Mid
makes
20
serves
preparation
20
minutes
cooking
30
minutes
difficulty
Mid
level
When my mother was a little girl, she would eat crema fritta sold in the street markets in the Veneto region. I love adding vanilla and lemon zest to the custard, making them even more moreish.
Ingredients
- 500 ml (17 fl oz/2 cups full-cream (whole) milk
- peel of 1 lemon, white pith removed
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 85 g (3 oz) plain (all-purpose) flour, sifted
- 40 g (1½ oz) cornflour (cornstarch), sifted
- 100 g (3½ oz) caster (superfine) sugar
- pinch of salt
- 2 eggs plus 2 egg yolks
- 25 g (1 oz) unsalted butter
- 100 g (3½ oz/1 cup) fine breadcrumbs
- grapeseed, peanut or sunflower oil, for frying
Resting time: 4 hours
Instructions
Line a rectangular baking dish (approximately 26 cm x 8 cm/10¼ in x 3¼ in) with a double layer of plastic wrap that hangs over the edges of the dish.
Place the milk, lemon peel and vanilla in a small saucepan over low heat. Heat the milk to just before boiling point, then remove from the heat and set aside, covered.
Place the sifted flours, sugar and salt in a large bowl, then whisk in the whole eggs and egg yolks, one at a time, until thoroughly combined.
Strain the milk into the batter in a slow steady stream, whisking the whole time – you do not want any lumps to form. Scrape the whole lot back into the saucepan then return to the stovetop over a low heat, stirring continuously and vigorously until the mixture comes to the boil and starts to thicken and becomes difficult to stir. This should take about 10 minutes. Allow to boil and bubble for a minute, stirring vigorously the whole time, even though it will be very stiff – this step is critical in making sure that the custard sets.
Remove from the heat and stir in the butter. Place into your prepared dish and flatten with a spatula. The custard should be 1.5 cm–2 cm (½ in–¾ in) thick. Cover the surface of the custard with plastic wrap and set aside to cool and solidify for about 4 hours (transfer to the fridge once the custard has cooled sufficiently).
Place the breadcrumbs on a plate. Remove the set custard from the dish using the overhanging plastic wrap. Cut into 5 cm (2 in) diamond shapes or squares, then toss thoroughly in the breadcrumbs.
Heat 4–5 cm (1½–2 in) oil in a heavy-based saucepan (or use a deep-fryer) to 180°C (350°F), or until a cube of bread dropped into the oil sizzles immediately. Cook the custard shapes in batches for about 2 minutes until light golden. Drain on kitchen towel and serve hot.
Cook's Notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.
When my mother was a little girl, she would eat crema fritta sold in the street markets in the Veneto region. I love adding vanilla and lemon zest to the custard, making them even more moreish.
