Loukoumades

La storia di questo piatto

Loukoumades are the oldest sweet memory of Greece, fried offerings once laid at the feet of Olympic gods, now carried by street vendors through the noise of Athens like golden prayers still warm from another century.

Ingredienti

• 250 g Type 00 flour
• 150 ml Warm water
• 7 g Fresh baker's yeast
• 3 g Fine salt
• 5 g Sugar
• 20 ml Extra virgin olive oil
• 1000 ml Seed oil for frying
• 200 ml Raw honey
• 2 g Ground cinnamon
• 50 g Chopped walnuts

Preparazione

1. Pour just-warm water into a small bowl, dissolve the sugar into it, and crumble the yeast into the mixture, stirring gently with a fork. Cover it and let it rest undisturbed: when a light, puffy foam forms on the surface, the yeast is alive and ready to work for you. If after a little while you don't see any foam forming, throw it out and start again, because dough made with weak yeast will never rise properly.
2. In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt, mixing it with your fingers to distribute the salt evenly throughout. Make a well in the center, pour in the yeast mixture and the oil, then mix with energy, first using a spoon and then with your hands, until you feel the dough become smooth and elastic beneath your fingers. It should be soft and slightly sticky to the touch: if you touch it and it releases from your hands without sticking stubbornly, you've worked it well.
3. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth, which prevents the surface from drying out, and place the dough in a warm corner of your kitchen, away from any drafts. Let it rest patiently: you'll watch the volume grow until it has tripled, and the dough will be full of tiny air bubbles if you hold it up to the light to examine it. Don't rush this step: it's time that gives the loukoumades their lightness.
4. Pour the seed oil into a tall pot and heat it over medium heat, monitoring the temperature with a thermometer until it reaches 170°C. If you don't have a thermometer, drop a small piece of dough into it: if it immediately sizzles and rises to the surface surrounded by bubbles, the oil is ready. Don't let it get too hot or the loukoumades will turn dark brown on the outside while remaining raw inside.
5. Wet both spoons thoroughly in a glass of cold water so the dough won't stick to them, and scoop out small portions, no bigger than a walnut (about 30 grams each). Gently slide each portion into the hot oil without dropping it from too high up or you'll splash hot oil on yourself. Fry only 3 to 4 balls at a time: if you put in too many at once the oil temperature will drop and the loukoumades will absorb grease instead of turning golden.
6. Let the balls fry, turning them halfway through cooking with a slotted spoon so they brown evenly on all sides. They're ready when they have a beautiful deep golden color and, when you touch them with the slotted spoon, you feel that they're light and hollow inside. Drain them on paper towels to remove excess oil, and I mean it, otherwise they'll feel heavy and greasy on your palate.
7. In a small saucepan, warm the honey with the cinnamon over the lowest heat, stirring just barely, only until it becomes fluid and fragrant, without letting it boil or it will lose its delicate character. Pour it warm over the loukoumades while they're still hot from frying: this way the honey soaks in properly and flavors them from the inside rather than just coating the surface.
8. Roughly chop a handful of walnuts with a knife so they stay crunchy, and scatter them over the loukoumades while they're still steaming. Bring them to the table immediately: it's the heat that keeps their fragrance alive, and if you wait too long they'll lose that crispy crust that makes them truly special.