10. — Lay each fritter, as you take it from the basket, on
a dry clean cloth, or on a sheet of new blotting paper, to
complete the draining.
11. — When dry, dish it in a very hot dish, and, if a
savoury fritter, give it a dust of finely powdered salt ; if a
sweet one, shake a canopy of powdered loaf sugar over it.
12. — Fritters can be fried one after another. Never put
in more than the pan can easily hold at one time.
The fat should now be poured through muslin into a
clean bowl : it will harden, and be fit for work again, until
it assumes a leaden tint, which may take place after it has
198 CULINARY JOTTINGS FOR MADRAS.
been used two or three times. Fat in which /7s7^ has once
been fried must be reserved afterwards for fish only, as it
acquires a fishy taste.
If you follow these rules closely, you ought never to fail
to turn out nice fritters, provided, of course, that your
batter be properly made. I cannot too strongly impress
upon you the necessity of attention to this part of the
work which so many cooks slur over carelessly. I have
adopted as a standard batter in my own kitchen one re-
commended by the " G. C," whose advice I have so often
quoted in these pages. Friends who have tried it at my
recommendation have generally commended it. You must
proceed in this way : —
Beat up the yolks of three cgfrs with two table-spoonfuls
of brandy, one table-spoonful of the best salad oil, and
four or five table-spoonfuls of cold water. Incorporate
with this mixture three table-spoonfuls of flour and a salt-
.spoonfnl of sal✪ Fritter Battert. The flour should be dry, and the best
imported. Work this now, with care, to a smooth paste,
and continue to beat it for at least ten minutes. If the
batter appear too thick, add a little w^ater until its consist-
ency be satisfactory, i.e. : — it should cover the spoon
when lifted out of it with a coating about the eighth of an
inch thick. This stage having been reached, take the
whites of the three eggs, and whip them to a stiff froth :
stir this into your batter at the time of using.
This recipe may be reduced for a small dish of fritters
as follows : — two ordinary eggs, one table-spoonful of
brandy, a dessert-spoonful of salad oil, two or three table-
spoonfuls of water, and one and a half table-spoonful of
flour. For sweet fritters, use sugar instead of salt.
Another good batter is made thus : — Beat up equal parts
of salad oil, and brandy, — say, a table-spoonful of each ;
add the yolk of au egg^ and incorporate with this, sufficient
FRITTERS. 199
flonr to make a thick paste, which you thin to the required
consistency by the addition of water, reserving the whipped
white of the egg to finish with.
Page 111 · 1 recipe record on this page
Presented as published in 1885. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
10. — Lay each fritter, as you take it from the basket, on a dry clean cloth, or on a sheet of new blotting paper, to complete the draining.
11. — When dry, dish it in a very hot dish, and, if a savoury fritter, give it a dust of finely powdered salt ; if a sweet one, shake a canopy of powdered loaf sugar over it.
12. — Fritters can be fried one after another. Never put in more than the pan can easily hold at one time.
The fat should now be poured through muslin into a clean bowl : it will harden, and be fit for work again, until it assumes a leaden tint, which may take place after it has
been used two or three times. Fat in which /7s7^ has once been fried must be reserved afterwards for fish only, as it acquires a fishy taste.
If you follow these rules closely, you ought never to fail to turn out nice fritters, provided, of course, that your batter be properly made. I cannot too strongly impress upon you the necessity of attention to this part of the work which so many cooks slur over carelessly. I have adopted as a standard batter in my own kitchen one recommended by the " G. C," whose advice I have so often quoted in these pages. Friends who have tried it at my recommendation have generally commended it. You must proceed in this way : —
Beat up the yolks of three eggs with two table-spoonfuls of brandy, one table-spoonful of the best salad oil, and four or five table-spoonfuls of cold water. Incorporate with this mixture three table-spoonfuls of flour and a salt- spoonful of salt. The flour should be dry, and the best imported. Work this now, with care, to a smooth paste, and continue to beat it for at least ten minutes. If the batter appear too thick, add a little water until its consistency be satisfactory, i.e. : — it should cover the spoon when lifted out of it with a coating about the eighth of an inch thick. This stage having been reached, take the whites of the three eggs, and whip them to a stiff froth : stir this into your batter at the time of using.
This recipe may be reduced for a small dish of fritters as follows : — two ordinary eggs, one table-spoonful of brandy, a dessert-spoonful of salad oil, two or three tablespoonfuls of water, and one and a half table-spoonful of flour. For sweet fritters, use sugar instead of salt.
Another good batter is made thus : — Beat up equal parts of salad oil, and brandy, — say, a table-spoonful of each ; add the yolk of an egg and incorporate with this, sufficient
FRITTERS. 199
flonr to make a thick paste, which you thin to the required consistency by the addition of water, reserving the whipped white of the egg to finish with.
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Fritter Batter