Byzantine Honey Fritters
Durum flour fritters tossed with honey and black pepper
City/Region: Constantinople | Byzantine Empire
Time Period: 1st Century
The markets of Constantinople were filled with amazing things to eat. You could get ingredients like meat, fish, poultry, salt, oil, cheese, butter, olives, honey, fresh vegetables, and dried fruit, but the markets were also famous for their prepared foods. There were sausages, bread, skewers of meat similar to souvlaki, soup, and sweets like these fritters.
They fry up crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside and the fried dough-honey-pepper combination is so delicious. All of the ingredient amounts in this recipe can vary depending on the flour and other factors, so be flexible with it. The good news is that it’s a very forgiving recipe that is hard to mess up.
“Take some fine semolina flour and cook it in hot water so that it forms a very firm puls, then spread it on a plate. Once it has cooled, cut it as you do for sweets, and fry them in the best olive oil. Lift out, pour some honey over, sprinkle with pepper, and serve. They will be better if you use milk instead of water. ”
Ingredients:
- 2 cups (475 ml) cow or goat milk
- 1 1/4 cups (225 g) durum flour
- 1 L extra virgin olive oil, for frying
- 1/3 cup (100 g) honey, more or less to taste
- 1 teaspoon black pepper, more or less to taste
Instructions:
- Heat the milk in a pot over low heat. You want it to steam, but not simmer. When it’s warm, add half of the flour and mix it in, stirring continuously to prevent it from burning. After 1 minute, add in more flour a little bit at a time. You’re looking for a thick mixture that’s difficult to stir. You may not need all of the flour. If it becomes too thick, add more milk, and if it becomes too thin, add more flour.
- Continue to stir and cook for 10 to 15 minutes. This may depend on how long you’re able to keep mixing because it will be a rather thick consistency and you’re going to get tired.
- Take the pot off the heat and let it cool for a couple of minutes, then spread it onto a plate about 1/2 inch (about 1 1/2 cm) thick. Get it as even as possible. Let the mixture cool completely and put in the fridge for 15 to 20 minutes to firm up.
- When it’s firm, cut it into whatever bite-sized shape you like. I did small squares. Whatever you choose, it will kind of lose its shape once it’s in the fryer, so it doesn’t have to be perfect.
- Heat the olive oil in a pot or deep pan to 350°F (175°C). Fry the fritters about 6 to 8 at a time. Don’t do more than 8 because they will lower the temperature of the oil too much and they won’t fry as well. Fry undisturbed for 1 minute, then gently break them up (they will clump together). Fry for another 1 to 1 1/2 minutes, or until they’re golden brown.
- Remove them to a wire rack set over paper towels to drain. Bring the oil back up to 350°F (175°C) and fry another batch. Repeat until all of the fritters have been fried.
- While they’re still warm, put the fritters in a bowl a few at a time, drizzle them with honey, and toss to coat. It helps to warm the honey first. Sprinkle with the pepper, toss again, and serve them forth.