Ricotta fritters
In Italy frittelle di ricotta are fried above all at Carnival. They are small, fluffy fritters of ricotta, eggs and a little flour, with lemon zest, dropped from a spoon into hot oil and rolled in sugar. The ricotta keeps them light and moist inside, while outside they are crisp. No yeast or rising is needed — the batter is stirred together in 10 minutes. The ricotta must be well drained, or the batter will be too runny.
Your own work in that: 15 min.
- Batter 10 min
- Resting 15 min
- Frying in batches 25 min
- Sugar 5 min
Step by step
0 / 8 doneDrain the ricotta
Do this ahead: tub ricotta usually weeps whey, so drain it in a muslin-lined sieve, ideally overnight in the fridge, or for at least an hour. This time is not included in the recipe time.
Ingredients: 250 g ricotta, drained · 2 pcs eggs · 40 g sugar · 1 pcs lemon, grated zest · 1 tsp vanilla extract · 120 g plain flour · 1 tsp baking powder · 1 pinch salt · 800 ml oil for frying
Mix the batter
Beat the ricotta with the eggs, sugar, lemon zest and vanilla until smooth. Stir in the flour with the baking powder and salt. The batter should be thick and fall from the spoon in heavy dollops.
Ingredients: 250 g ricotta, drained · 2 pcs eggs · 40 g sugar · 1 pcs lemon, grated zest · 1 tsp vanilla extract · 120 g plain flour · 1 tsp baking powder · 1 pinch salt · 800 ml oil for frying
Thick — it drops from the spoon in dollops.Rest the batter
Leave the batter 15 minutes for the flour to hydrate.
Ingredients: 250 g ricotta, drained · 2 pcs eggs · 40 g sugar · 1 pcs lemon, grated zest · 1 tsp vanilla extract · 120 g plain flour · 1 tsp baking powder · 1 pinch salt · 800 ml oil for frying
Heat the oil
Pour the oil into a deep pan about 18 cm across — it will be about 3 cm deep, and the pan should be no more than half full. Heat the oil to 170°C. Oil that is too hot burns the fritters outside before the inside cooks.
Ingredients: 250 g ricotta, drained · 2 pcs eggs · 40 g sugar · 1 pcs lemon, grated zest · 1 tsp vanilla extract · 120 g plain flour · 1 tsp baking powder · 1 pinch salt · 800 ml oil for frying
Fry in batches
Scoop up the batter with a spoon (about 20 g, a ball the size of a walnut) and push it into the oil with another spoon, 5–6 at a time. Fry 3–4 minutes, turning, until golden all over. Frying all the batches takes about 25 minutes.
Ingredients: 250 g ricotta, drained · 2 pcs eggs · 40 g sugar · 1 pcs lemon, grated zest · 1 tsp vanilla extract · 120 g plain flour · 1 tsp baking powder · 1 pinch salt · 800 ml oil for frying
Golden all over — the centre cooks through.Check the centre
Break open the first fritter — the centre should be fluffy and cooked, with no raw batter. If it is raw, lower the heat and fry longer.
Ingredients: 250 g ricotta, drained · 2 pcs eggs · 40 g sugar · 1 pcs lemon, grated zest · 1 tsp vanilla extract · 120 g plain flour · 1 tsp baking powder · 1 pinch salt · 800 ml oil for frying
Drain
Lift the fritters out with a slotted spoon onto kitchen paper.
Ingredients: 250 g ricotta, drained · 2 pcs eggs · 40 g sugar · 1 pcs lemon, grated zest · 1 tsp vanilla extract · 120 g plain flour · 1 tsp baking powder · 1 pinch salt · 800 ml oil for frying
Roll in sugar
Roll the still-warm fritters in sugar or dust with icing sugar. Serve at once, with coffee.
Ingredients: 40 g sugar or icing sugar
Sugared while warm — best straight away.
Before you start
With raisins
Add a spoonful of rum-soaked raisins or finely chopped candied peel to the batter — as in Venetian frittelle.
Safe frying
Fry in a deep pan filled no more than halfway with oil, and never leave it unattended. A kitchen thermometer helps keep 170°C. Never put out burning oil with water — cover the pan with a lid and turn off the heat.
Storage
The fritters are best on the day they are fried. Once cool, keep leftovers in the fridge (they contain cheese and eggs) and eat them the next day, refreshed 5 minutes in an oven at 180°C.
