These tangy fritters are just the ticket on a wintry day. Switch up the spices in the sugar for a change if you like - cinnamon, nutmeg or cloves would all work well.
Lemon custard fritters
These tangy fritters are just the ticket on a wintry day. Switch up the spices in the sugar for a change if you like – cinnamon, nutmeg or cloves would all work well.
- 15 mins preparation
- 30 mins cooking plus cooling
- Serves 6 - 8
Print
Ingredients
- 160 ml each milk and pouring cream
- Finely grated rind and juice of 1 lemon
- 3 egg yolks
- 65 gm caster sugar
- 20 gm cornflour
- 20 gm plain flour, plus extra for dusting
- 20 ml limoncello
- 50 gm firm ricotta, finely crumbled
- 20 gm glacé lemon or glacé orange, diced
- For deep-frying: vegetable oil
Spiced sugar
- 1 star anise
- Seeds of 1 cardamom pod
- 150 gm caster sugar
- Finely grated rind of 1 lemon
Method
Main
- 1Bring milk, cream and rind to the simmer in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk yolks, sugar, cornflour and flour in a bowl to combine (this will be quite a dry mixture), then, whisking continuously, add hot cream mixture. Return to pan and whisk continuously until thick and smooth (3-4 minutes), then remove from heat, whisk in juice and limoncello, and stir in ricotta and glacé fruit. Transfer to a container, cover directly with plastic wrap to prevent a skin forming and refrigerate until chilled (3-4 hours; custard can be made up to 2 days ahead).
- 2For spiced sugar, dry-roast star anise and cardamom seeds in a small pan over medium-high heat until fragrant (30 seconds to 1 minute), then finely grind with a mortar and pestle and combine in a bowl with sugar and rind.
- 3Heat oil in a large saucepan to 180C. Spoon rough tablespoons of custard into flour in a bowl, dust to coat, then deep-fry in batches, turning occasionally, until golden brown (1-2 minutes). Drain briefly on paper towels, toss in spiced sugar and serve hot.