Zeppole Recipe Lidia Bastianich

ZEPPOLE

Steps:

• Heat oil in a deep-fryer to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• In a medium saucepan, combine the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Stir in the eggs, ricotta cheese and vanilla. Mix gently over low heat until combined. Batter will be sticky.
• Drop by tablespoons into the hot oil a few at a time. Zeppole will turn over by themselves. Fry until golden brown, about 3 or 4 minutes. Drain in a paper sack and dust with confectioners' sugar. Serve warm.

BRAISED BEEF ROLLS (BRACIOLE DI MANZO)

Steps:

• To make the stuffing: Place the bread cubes and milk into a medium bowl and stir for full coverage. Let soak until bread is very soft (at least 20 minutes).
• Drain the bread, squeeze out the excess milk, and return bread to the bowl. Stir in the chopped egg, parsley, grated cheese, raisins and garlic. Lightly salt and pepper. Mix well and set aside.
• For the beef rolls: With the toothed side of a heavy meat mallet, pound each slice of beef round to a thickness of about 1/4" and about 5 to 6" wide, 6-7" long.
• Top each with a slice of the prosciutto and tap with fingertips to lightly adhere to the beef. Spread 2 to 3 tablespoons of the stuffing over the beef slice, leaving a 1" border around the edges.
• Place one stick of the provolone across the short end on top of the stuffing and fold the short end over the top of it. Fold the side borders in to overlap the edges of the stuffing, then roll the beef into as compact of a tube as possible. Secure the end of flap with one or two toothpicks. Repeat with remaining beef and stuffing. Lightly salt and pepper the rolls.
• Empty the tomatoes into a medium bowl and squeeze them with your hands until they are coarsely crushed, removing the core and ends if there are any.
• Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy casserole (I used a dutch oven) over medium heat. When the oil is hot, stir in the onions and garlic and cook until the onions are wilted, about 5 minutes. Add the braciole into a single layer and cook, turning the braciole every 2-3 minutes until all sides are lightly browned, about 7 minutes. Adjust the heat to prevent the beef from scorching.
• Add the wine to the pot and bring to a boil. Cook until most of it has evaporated. Stir in the tomatoes and bring to a boil. Add tomato paste and bay leaves and stir until the paste is dissolved. Season with the red pepper flakes and lightly salt.
• Adjust the heat to very low or simmer setting until the liquid is at a low simmer, adding water as necessary to keep the braciole completely submerged. Allow to simmer uncovered until the beef is tender, about 3 hours, checking, stirring, and turning every 15-20 minutes and adding liquid to cover braciole if needed (use very hot tap water or pasta water).
• Carefully remove the toothpicks before serving (they're hot!). Lidia says the braciole can be prepared up to 2 days in advance, then warmed over low heat until heated through.

ZEPPOLE RECIPE

Steps:

• In a small bowl, add the yeast, sugar and salt to the water. Let stand until creamy, about 2 minutes, and stir to dissolve the yeast.
• In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, yeast mixture and olive oil. Stir with a wooden spoon until a nice sticky dough forms. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 1-1/2 hours.
• In a deep saucepan, pour in vegetable oil to a depth of 3 inches. Heat the oil to 370 degrees (use a frying thermometer).
• Use two tablespoons to scoop out the dough and drop it into the hot oil, by using one spoon to push the dough off of the other. Do this for about 4 zeppole at a time, do not crowd them in the pan. Cook until golden brown and puffy, turning with a slotted spoon to fry evenly on all sides.
• Remove the zeppole from the oil with the slotted spoon, and transfer to a plate or tray lined with paper towels to drain. When all zeppole are fried and drained sprinkle generously with powdered sugar and serve hot.

FRIED SWEET DOUGH

Steps:

• Heat the vegetable oil in a wide saucepan to 350 degrees F. (The oil should be an inch or two deep.)
• For the filling: Whisk together the ricotta, mascarpone, amaretto, and confectioners' sugar in a bowl until smooth. Stir in the candied peel and chocolate. Refrigerate the filling while you make the zeppole.
• Combine 1 cup water, the butter, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring to melt the butter. While stirring, add the flour and zest all at once. Cook, stirring constantly, until the dough dries out and pulls away from the sides of the pan. Remove from heat, and add the eggs one at a time, stirring vigorously to incorporate one before adding the next, until the dough is completely smooth.
• Drop a batch of zeppole in 2-tablespoon dollops (a small ice-cream scoop is perfect for this) into the oil, making sure you don't crowd them in the pan, because they will grow in size. Fry the zeppole, turning on all sides, until light and golden brown all over, about 5 minutes per batch. Drain on paper towels, and repeat with the remaining dough.
• To serve, when cold cut the zeppole in half with a serrated knife and with a pastry bag pipe the filling onto the bottom half. Cover and dust with additional confectioners' sugar if desired.