Savory must-haves: the recipe for a delicious and fragrant Carnival aperitif

THE salty staples I am a antipasti simple but very gourmet, ideal to bring to the table for a festive buffet or to serve during a hidden aperitif in combination with a cut of cold cuts and cheeses.

Like the namesake fried donuts sprinkled with granulated sugar, and traditionally prepared during carnival days, they are made with a quick dough that requires no waiting or rising time, made from boiled potatoes mashed potatoes, eggs, flour and instant yeast: only in this case, instead of sweetener, grated cheese, a pinch of salt, grain diced and ricotta.

Once many loaves have been modeled, it will be enough to close them like a bow and then dip them in thehot seed oil: the result will be golden and fragrant snacks, to be sprinkled with a little chopped parsley and tasted one after the other with your fingertips.

For an impeccable result, don’t forget to drain the ricotta well from the whey and bring the oil to the temperature of 170°C: in this way, the staples will be dry and not at all watery, and you will obtain a crispy fry on the outside and soft on the inside.

Find out how to prepare salty graffe by following the step-by-step procedure and tips. If you liked this recipe, also try the potato bombs.

How to prepare salty graffe

Boil the potatoes, peel them and pass them while still hot through a potato masher, collecting the mashed potatoes in a bowl; then add the ricotta 1well drained whey.

Mix the egg 2.

Add the grated cheese, salt and mix everything with the tines of a fork 3.

Also mix the flour and the baking powder 4sieved together.

Pour the dough on the work surface and knead for a few moments with your hands 5.

Pour the cubed speck in the center 6 and add it to the batter.

form a palla 7.

Divide it into several pieces of the same weight, and make loaves of 20 cm in length and 2 cm in diameter with each portion of dough 8.

Shape the loaves into small arcs and seal them at the joint by applying light pressure with your fingertips 9: in this way they will not deform during cooking.

Continue like this until the dough is used up. ten.

Heat a large quantity of seed oil in a saucepan and bring it to a temperature of 170°C (you can use a kitchen thermometer for this operation); then dip in the staples, a few pieces at a time, and fry until golden brown 11.

Once cooked, remove them with a slotted spoon and let them dry on a sheet of paper towel. 12.

Arrange them in a serving dish, sprinkle them with a little chopped parsley 13 It’s very hot.

Advice

We added the dough to cheese grated cheese and a handful of Parmesan cheesebut if you prefer a more savory and intense taste, you can opt for any cheese you like: spicy pecorino and provolone, emmental and grana, smoked provola and asiago… Or you can substitute cow’s milk ricotta with robiola, soft goat cheese or gorgonzola cheese.

Instead of speck, you can use cooked ham or, for a more pleasant result, cubes of mortadella and bacon. If desired, you can flavor the staples with spices and ed aromatic herbs mixed: parsley, lemon thyme, rosemary, freshly ground pepper, sweet paprika, turmeric, curry and much more.

storage

The salty graffe is eaten hot and fragrant. Alternatively, they can be stored in the refrigerator, in an airtight container, for A day maximum: when ready to serve, we suggest reheating them for a few moments in the oven to make them crispy again as if they had just been made.