Roman Cheese Fritters (Encytum)

Spiral-shaped fritters drizzled with honey and sprinkled with white poppyseeds

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City/Region: Rome

Time Period: 2nd Century B.C.E.

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These fritters are kind of like a mix between globi and jalebi. The batter is simple like the globi, made of just spelt flour and ricotta, but they’re piped into hot fat in spiral shapes like jalebi. The technique can be a little tricky to get right so that the spirals hold together, but you should get about 12 to 15 tries out of the amount of batter this recipe makes.

The encytum are delicious and kind of remind me of a healthy pancake, but with honey instead of maple syrup. They don’t stay crispy for very long, so plan on serving them right away if you’d like to retain maximum crispness.

“Make encytum the same way as globi, except that you use a vessel with a hole in the bottom which you can stream through into hot fat, and shape like the spira, coiling and turning it with two sticks. Spread and color with honey while still warm. Serve with honey or mulsum.”

— De Agri Cultura by Cato the Elder, 2nd century B.C.E.

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Ingredients:

• 2 cups (480 g) ricotta cheese
• 2/3 cup (80 g) spelt flour, or any whole wheat flour you like
• 1 quart (1 L) olive oil or lard, for frying, you want about 1 to 2 inches (3 to 5 cm) of oil in your pan
• 1/4 cup (85 g) honey
• White poppyseeds*, for sprinkling, optional

*If you’ve got black poppyseeds, go ahead and use those.

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, mix the cheese and flour together thoroughly. You want a smooth batter that is the consistency of toothpaste, so add more flour if your batter is too thin or more cheese or a bit of water if it’s too stiff.
2. Heat the olive oil or lard, enough to be about 1 to 2 inches (3 to 5 cm) deep, in a large shallow pan until it’s between 325°F and 350°F (162°C and 175°C).
3. While the oil heats, fill a piping bag or zip top bag about 2/3 of the way with the batter. Overfilling the bag can make it harder to work with. Snip off the end of the bag to make an opening that’s about 1/4 inch (.5 cm) in diameter.
4. When the oil is hot, carefully pipe spirals by holding the bag vertically over the oil. Using even pressure, start in the center and pipe a continuous spiral that’s about 3 to 4 inches wide (7 to 10 cm), then bring the line of batter through the center of the spiral (this will help it keep its shape). Use a knife or spatula to separate the line of dough from the piping bag.
5. Let it fry for 30 seconds, then use a spatula to gently release the spiral from the bottom of the pan if it’s sticking. Fry for another 30 seconds, then carefully flip it over and fry for another minute or so until it’s a nice golden brown. Once it’s browned, remove it to a wire rack set over paper towels to drain. Repeat with the remaining batter, adjusting the temperature as needed to keep it within the 325°F to 350°F (162°C to 175°C) range. I only fried one at a time, but if you feel confident and your pan is large enough, go ahead and do two or three at a time. The amount of batter should make about 12 to 15 encytum. Refill your piping bag with batter as needed
6. Warm the honey to make it easier to pour, then drizzle it over the encytum. Sprinkle the poppyseeds over the encytum, then serve them forth. They are crispy right out of the fryer, but lose that crispness within a few minutes. Still delicious, just not as crispy.

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