turkish fritters

These Turkish fritters, sold on the street, are similar to the Spanish churros except that they are traditionally made in rings. You can choose to make them immensely sweet by immersing them in the syrup for a while, as some do in Turkey, or you can have them moderately sweet and scrumptiously crunchy if you dip them in the syrup for only a few minutes, as directed. The sugar syrup used here is in the Lebanese and Syrian style, with rose water and orange blossom water, except that I have added half of a vanilla bean. In Iran only rose water is used, while in Turkey they often like their sugar syrup without any flavorings. In Gulf countries it is flavored with saffron and cardamom. In Morocco, heated honey is used instead of syrup.

MAKES ABOUT 24 FRITTERS

1¹/₂ cups [360 ml] Fragrant Sugar Syrup (recipe follows)

¹/₂ vanilla bean, split lengthwise

fritters

¹/₃ cup [80 ml] whole milk

6 Tbsp [85 g] unsalted butter

¹/₂ cup [120 ml] water

1 cup [150 g] unbleached all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp semolina (regular, not fine)

¹/₂ tsp fine sea salt

1 Tbsp arrowroot

3 large eggs

Sunflower oil for frying

Heat the sugar syrup in a saucepan over medium heat and add the vanilla bean. Let the vanilla infuse the syrup while cooling.

To make the fritters: Put the milk, butter, and water in a saucepan; place over medium heat and bring to a boil. Stir the flour, semolina, salt, and arrowroot together in a mixing bowl and add to the milk mixture as soon as it comes to a boil. Remove from the heat and stir quickly and vigorously until you have a smooth paste. Return the pan to low heat and cook, stirring all the time, for a couple of minutes. Transfer to a mixing bowl. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let cool for about 10 minutes.

Add the eggs, one by one, whisking until each is completely incorporated. The mixture will soften and become glossy. Spoon it into a pastry bag fitted with a medium star-shape tip.

Pour enough sunflower oil into a large, deep frying pan to reach a depth of 1¹/₂ to 2 in [4 to 5 cm]. Place over medium heat. Check the temperature by dropping a little batter into the oil; if the oil bubbles around it, it’s ready. (A candy thermometer should register 350°F [180°C].) Pipe the fritters in 2-in [5-cm] sections directly into the hot oil. You can also pipe them out in rings as they do on the streets of Turkey.

Fry, turning them so that they color evenly, for a few minutes on each side, until they turn a deep brown.

Remove the fritters using a slotted spoon and drop them into the cooled syrup. Let them soak in the syrup for a few minutes, and then transfer to a serving dish. Repeat the process, making sure the oil doesn’t get too hot. The fritters are best served immediately or soon after frying, but you can store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day. They will soften but will still be good.