One of my Italian friends, who I’ve sensed has been feeling homesick lately, invited me and some friends over for a movie afternoon.

It’s hard to have a proper movie night without something to nibble on. So, I made zeppoles, Italian doughnuts, in both sweet and savory versions for an appetizer. I hope she likes them.

With my fail on the article about Disclosure Day, I thought this recipe might serve as some compensation.

---

Ingredients:

• 500g potatoes
• 2 eggs
• 7g dried yeast
• 80ml (⅓ cup) milk
• 500g type 00 flour or all-purpose flour
• Salt
• Light olive oil or vegetable oil for frying
• Anchovies and/or pitted olives for the savory filling or Jam, pistachio spread, or Nutella for the sweet filling.

Method:

1. Cook the potatoes in a pot of boiling salted water until tender. Drain and, once cooled, peel them.
2. Place the cooled potatoes in a bowl and mash them until smooth. Add the eggs and mix well. In a small bowl, combine the yeast and milk, then stir this mixture into the mashed potatoes along with the flour, mixing until a dough begins to form. Add a generous pinch of salt and knead until smooth. If the dough is too dry, add a little more milk; if it’s too wet, add a little more flour. Keep in mind, however, that a moister dough will result in softer zeppole. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and let it rest at room temperature for 2 hours, or until the dough has doubled in size.
3. Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. To check if the oil is at the right temperature, drop in a small piece of dough. If it sizzles immediately and bubbles rise to the surface, the oil is ready. Scoop golf ball-sized balls of dough, fill them with an anchovy or olives (or both!) for a savory version (or anything sweet for a sweet version), and drop them into hot oil. Don’t overcrowd the pan, or the oil temperature will drop and your zeppole will absorb too much oil. Fry them in small batches for 3 to 4 minutes, until golden brown and puffed up. Drain them on paper towels and serve hot. For the sweet version, you can roll them in a cinnamon-sugar mixture or dust them with powdered sugar.

Ideally, they’re best eaten straight from the fryer, but if you make them ahead of time like I did today, they’re even better reheated in the oven.

If you have any batter left over, it makes a great pizza base or a superb pie crust.

Hugs and kisses, see you soon!