I came home from the farm with another armload of apples today. They’re ripe at the top of the trees so next week it’s probably cider time with most of the crop. An unexpected bonus of the huge hoarkin’ truck is that I can park on the drive right next to one of my biggest trees and reach nearly to the top with my highly comical extend-a-pole while standing on the tailgate. Those few extra feet make for perfectly sweet picking this time of year.
I’m particularly keen on apple fritters any time of year to be honest but when you can make a quick batch yourself and enjoy them warm from the fryer extra fresh apple flavour comes shining through. I know oil frying can be a hassle for many of you kitchen warriors but there’s really no way to get this flavour in anything ready made even at the best bakery. Unless of course it’s a bakery parked in the middle of an orchard. Now there’s an idea.
These are so impressive in the first hour after frying that I don’t bother with the ubiquitous sugar glaze that seems to cover every retail fritter on planet apple. To my taste buds that sickly sweet coating mutes the apple flavour that my trees worked so hard to make. I use buttermilk for extra character and keep batch size tiny so that I can fry a pair in the morning and then another two for afternoon tea when I come in from the garden. Park the batter in the fridge for an extra night to delay round two if you’re on fritter overload but that’s about the limit before you need to mix a fresh batch.
You can double up the recipe and cook them all at one go to be glazed in the usual fashion for a fritter-themed event you’ve got planned. Icing sugar stirred together with a pinch of salt, a few drops of vanilla, and a scant few spoons of hot water will work or borrow my more elaborate glaze over on the cinnamon roll post.
Just-Picked Apple Fritters
200 grams all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
50 grams sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated ONLY
130 grams (~ 1 medium) firm apple, peeled, cored, and 1/4″ diced*
1 large egg from a happy chicken
30 grams unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla
175 ml buttermilk
neutral oil for frying, e.g. vegetable, canola, etc.
* It’s rare that I suggest getting out the ruler in the kitchen. This is one of those times. Too large and the apple pieces won’t have time to cook before the exterior is a charred mess.
Yield: Four large fritters (or more of any shape/size you wish – see method below)
Sift together the flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add the apple and toss well to coat each piece. Set aside.
Whisk together the egg, butter, vanilla, and buttermilk. Set aside while heating oil in a heavy cast-iron dutch oven or similar to 175C (350F).
Just before frying, mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and fold until combined. For large fritters*, scoop roughly 125 ml (a heaping half cup) of batter and slowly drop into the hot oil. Use a long-handled and heat proof spatula to help ease the measure into the oil and try to spread the batter into a slightly elongated shape as it hits the heat. Too thick and the interior won’t cook properly. Cook on the first side until golden brown, about ninety seconds, then flip to cook on the second side to match, about two minutes depending on how quickly your oil recovers to full temperature. Remove to a wire rack with a long-handled mesh strainer to drain and cool.
* You can make these any shape or size you desire, e.g. small walnut-sized balls, but the cooking times will of course vary considerably. The only trick is making sure the inside has time to cook before the outside becomes overly browned so I try to leave them in the oil as long as the exterior can bear. In all shape and size cases, don’t overcrowd the pot to make your fritter wrangling duty easier.
If using a glaze, wait until the fritters are completely cooled or it will simply run off. At least try one naked (the fritter, not you) and I suspect you’ll find the extra sugar a distraction from great apple flavour.
