I don’t think I’ve ever had an apple fritter that packed the crunch of an apple, in any form, donut or otherwise. I always wondered whether the “apple” was really an apple mix masquerading as the real thing. This is our solution.
2–4 SERVINGS
½ cup plus ¼ cup sugar
½ teaspoon five-spice powder
1½ cups flour
1½ cups cornstarch
1 teaspoon Alsa brand baking powder*
2 Granny Smith apples, small dice†
1 (12-ounce) can Coco Rico brand soda
1 pinch kosher salt
Honey Bourbon Cream Sauce, for garnish and on the side
BALLS OUT
40–80 SERVINGS
2½ cups plus 1¼ cups sugar
2½ teaspoons five-spice powder
7½ cups flour
7½ cups cornstarch
1⅔ tablespoons Alsa brand baking powder*
10 Granny Smith apples, small dice†
5 (12-ounce) cans Coco Rico brand soda ⅓ teaspoon kosher salt
1. Over medium-high heat, heat 2 inches of oil in a pot to 350°F.
2. Combine ½ cup sugar and five-spice powder in a bowl and mix evenly. Set aside. In another bowl, sift together flour, cornstarch, and baking powder. Add to that bowl diced Granny Smith apples, soda, salt, and remaining sugar.
3. Allow all the ingredients to slowly marry each other. After 10–20 minutes, incorporate ever so slightly with a spatula, but don’t over mix! Ya gotta make sure those pesky glutens don’t get activated by unbelievably abundant “air” such that they stand in the way of the pleasure that “fluffy” will give you (which is what will happen if it’s overly mixed and becomes too dense).
4. Once the oil is hot, scoop up batter with an ice cream scoop, then gently drop into oil. Turn the fritters frequently and fry until they turn a nice, mouthwatering golden color. To make sure the fritters are cooked through, stick them with a skewer or toothpick. When you remove it, it should be completely dry. If it’s not, continue to fry. Once the fritters are done, remove and shake off excess oil. Let fritters cool for 2 minutes.
5. Transfer slightly cooled fritters to five-spice sugar mix. Toss gently to coat.
6. Plate and serve with a huge side of Honey Bourbon Cream Sauce. (FYI that stuff is like thick and viscous liquid crack, so give yourself an ample side to smother the fritters and yourself in. You’re welcome.)
You can store any unused fritter batter covered in the fridge to fry again another day.
The entire appeal of Starry Kitchen, other than the food, of course, was the fact that it was hard to find, that it was underground.
—THE RESTAURANT IN APARTMENT NO. 205
* This is a special French baking powder. We’ve never made this recipe using anything else, so if you don’t got it, try some other baking powder at your own risk . . . and then tweet us about how it worked.
† Not Fujis, not Galas, not Washingtons—we’re looking for that tart kinda apple to complement all the other sweetness this dish already has.