Rice and Apple Fritters

Rice and apple fritters are a delicious dessert prepared in various Italian regions, with slight variations. Here I propose a traditional recipe with a personal touch:

Ingredients

• 200 g rice
• 500 ml milk
• 2 medium-sized apples
• 50 g sugar (plus a bit for dusting)
• 2 eggs
• Grated zest of one lemon
• A pinch of salt
• Flour as needed
• Baking powder, 1 teaspoon
• Vegetable oil for frying

Preparation

1. Start by cooking the rice in the milk with a pinch of salt. If you want to give it an even more Italian touch, you can flavor the milk with a piece of lemon zest or vanilla.

2. When the rice is cooked and the milk is completely absorbed, transfer it to a bowl and let it cool.

3. Meanwhile, peel the apples, remove the cores and cut them into small pieces. You could also grate them if you prefer a more uniform texture.

4. Add the sugar, grated lemon zest and chopped apples to the cooled rice.

5. Separate the yolks from the whites and add the yolks to the rice and apple mixture.

6. Whip the egg whites to stiff peaks and gently fold them into the batter without deflating them.

7. Add flour as needed to obtain a batter firm enough to be shaped with a spoon. Also incorporate the baking powder.

8. Heat plenty of vegetable oil in a pan and, when hot, drop spoonfuls of batter into the oil.

9. Fry the fritters until golden and puffed, then drain on paper towels.

10. Dust the rice and apple fritters with granulated sugar before serving.

Trivia

Rice fritters are a leftover recipe typical of many culinary cultures. In the Italian peasant tradition, leftover rice was used to create simple and substantial sweets. Versions can vary from family to family, with additional ingredients such as raisins, candied fruit or liqueurs to further flavor them.