The ‘fritte’ are typical desserts of Molise, prepared for the feast of San Giuseppe. Find out with us the recipe of this deliciousness of Molise.
In many areas of Molise the feast of San Giuseppe is celebrated two times a year: the 19th of March and the 1st of May. The preparations for this celebration start from February, when, walking through the alleys of the villages, it’s possible to perceive the tempting smell of the many traditional sweets. In particular, among them, there are the so called ‘fritte’, also called ‘sfringiun’ or ‘torcinelli’ in some areas of Molise.
Ingredients (for 10 ‘fritte’):
- 1 kg of flour 0;
- 1 boiled potato (optional);
- 10 gr of brewer’s yeast or mother yeast;
- Water a/r.
Procedure:
Firstly, melt the yeast. At this point you can mix all the ingredients and work the dough with your hand until to obtain a soft dough. Since the recipe passes on the grandmothers through the word of mouth, it’s not possible to establish precisely a quantity of water, that’s why we regulate ourselves ‘by eye’. Let rise the dough in a warm place for 2 hours.
After this time for the rising, cut the dough into pieces (more or less rectangular); stretching delicately them by hands (you can help you with a bit of oil) dip them in the boiling oil in a large pot. When the ‘fritte’ reach golden colour, they are ready to be served. They are usually eaten as a dessert sprinkled with sugar, but in some areas of Molise they are stuffed with mozzarella and cured meats. In the following days, you can also toast them by oven to have a crispy result for your palate.
Rosa Sallustio
‘Fritte’ from Molise (by Maria Ranieri)