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Ricotta Fritters

December 27, 2005

Serves 4-6

4 large eggs
½ cup all purpose flour
Grapeseed, corn, canola, or other neutral oil

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ cup sugar
2 cups ricotta (about 1 pound)
2 teaspoons baking powder
Confectioner's sugar or honey

1. Beat the eggs, vanilla, and ricotta together in a large mixing bowl. Sift the flour, sugar, and baking powder on top, and fold the mixture together until it is a homogenous if not entirely smooth batter.

2. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Bring 2 inches of oil to 375 degrees in a wide skillet. Add tablespoon-size lumps of batter to the oil, working in batches as necessary to avoid crowding the pan. Fry the fritters for about four minutes, flipping them each once mid-fry to ensure that each side turns a deep golden brown.

3. Remove the fritters to a paper towel-lined sheet pan and put the pan in the oven. Let the oil return to temperature before you fry the next batch. Put your serving platter in the oven to warm before adding the last of the batter to the pan.

4. Serve the fritters on the warmed platter, dusted generously with confectioner's sugar or sprinkled with honey.