FOOD STORY
Carneval treats
FEBRUARY – MARCH
Frappe, Chiacchiere, bugie, castagnole, frittelle, tortelli. Many names for delicious fried delicacies that change in shapes and methods of preparation depending on the place of origin.
The traditional carnival season has officially started today. It starts in Viareggio February 20th.
Carnival is traditionally celebrated in Catholic countries and dates back to the Roman Empire. The origin of the celebration is to honor the new year, and in Italy it starts in the end of January to the beginning of March.
The word Carnival comes from Latin “Carnem levare” which means “eliminate meat” – It’s a symbol of the fasting.
The Venetian Carnival is the most famous in Italy, but you find carnivals celebration all over Italy.
During this period you find these sweet super thin fried sheets of dough all over. They have different names in different regions. In Tuscany they are called cenci, le frappe in central Italy and bugie in Piedmont. In Lombardy chiacciere. To mention some.
I found the recipe in Pellegrino Artusi’s book “La scienza in cucina e l'arte di mangiar bene“ (Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well), first published in 1891. This book is the most famous, most read and most used Italian cookbook of modern times.
“To cook well all you need is passion, a great deal of attention and the habit of being precise. Passion and precision, two fundamental qualities for whoever wants to undertake the art of cooking.”
Pellegrino Artusi
RECIPE
Cenci
240 gram extra fine flour, tipo 0
2 eggs
20 grams melted butter
20 gram powdered sugar
Zest from one lemon (ecological)
2 spoons of Aquavite or Grappa
a pinch of salt
sunflower oil for frying
To make the dough place the flour on a clean work surface and make a well in the centre. Add the eggs, sugar, salt, lemon zest, melted butter and aquavite or grappa. Using a fork, begin to whisk the eggs with the rest of the ingredients while slowly incorporating the flour. Knead the dough well until it gets smooth. Wrap in in and let it rest for 1 hour.
Divide the dough into two portions and roll them thinly with a rolling pin, dusting them with flour at every passage. Cut the strips of dough into rectangles (about 15x10cm)
Fill three-quarters of a deep, medium-sized skillet with sunflower oil and set it over a low-medium heat. When the oil is hot (180°C), slip in a first batch (3–4) of frappe. Fry them until deep-golden all over, for about 3 minutes. Drain them with a slotted spoon and transfer to a plate lined with absorbent kitchen paper
BUON APPETITO!