Take a pinte of Ale, and foure yoalkes of Egges, and a faire litle Saffron, a spoonfull of Cloues and Mace, and a litle salte, and a halfe a handfull of Sugar, put all this in a faire platter, and stirre them all together with a spoone, and make your batter thereof. Then take ten Apples, pare and cut them as big as a groate, put them in your batter: then take your suet & set it on the fyre, & when it is hot, put your batter & your Apples to your suet with your hand one by one, and when they be faire and yellow, take them out, and lay them in a faire platter, and let them stand a little while by the fyre side Then take a faire platter, and lay your fritters therein, and caste a litle Sugar on them, and so serue them in.
the good huswife’s handmaide for the kitchin
Ale Batter Apple Fritters
Description
There are an overwhelming number of recipes for fritters, particularly apple fritters, in the late period English sources. I like this one because it uses chopped apples, where most call for a slice of apple to be battered and fried intact. The balance of spices and ale make an interesting backdrop to the apples, which are clearly the star of the show. This is what I wish modern Apple Cider Donuts would taste like, but I am always disappointed in those. This recipe will work just as well with Rice Flour as a period appropriate gluten-free option, or with your favorite modern Gluten-Free Flour for baking.
The proportions are given pretty exactly in the recipe, with the exception of Flour which is not specifically stated at all. However, I take "and make your batter thereof" to imply flour as there would be no other way to make these ingredients into one, and fritters are universally a recipe of fried dough made from wheat flour, liquid, and sometimes eggs. A "groat" can mean either a hulled grain or a specific silver coin, however the author publishes this in the 1590s, when the groat as a coin had not been issued for 50 years prior, and would not be issued again for 50 more years. Using the definition of a hulled grain makes more sense for both the time and the recipe, so I have chopped mine to the size of Pearled Barley I had on hand.
Ingredients
Instructions
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Chop the apples small, to the size of grains
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Combine all of the ingredients except the last measure of Sugar and the Vegetable Oil
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Adjust the batter to the right thickness (you may need to test-fry to be sure.)
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Preheat your oil to 325°F in a deep skillet, at least 1 1/2" deep
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Fry 1oz scoops of batter in batches of 12 until golden brownAdjust the batch size based on your particular frying vessel, which should be no more than half full of fritters at a time
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Remove and drain, then immediately toss in sugar
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Serve fresh, warm or at room temperature
