Christmas Eve is around the corner and that can only mean one thing, zippuli frying up for our family’s enjoyment. Yes, a five-star cenone of succulent seafood is in the works for the vigilia but we typically whet our appetites with a lunch of zippuli. Not to be confused with the sweet pastries prepared for San Giuseppe known as zeppole, these are savoury potato donuts with a heart of anchovy.
Zippuli have been a holiday tradition for as long as I can remember. Every Christmas Eve my mother is up early making l’impasto so that it has time to rise and be palpable in time for our pranzo. Once the soft and sticky dough of mashed potatoes is ready, my father steps in as the fry master while my mother forms them into their distinguishing shapes (round denotes plain while elongated are stuffed with salty anchovies). As a child I always gravitated towards the little golden balls but as I grew older so did my fondness for the hidden salty bite of the Italian anchovies tucked inside the oblong ones.
While there are always abundant bowlfuls on the table in time for lunch, we always get a taste test as soon as the frying gets underway. That first hot bite into the crispy exterior that gives way to a moist interior is sheer bliss. Zippuli should come with an addiction warning however because once you have your first taste, you’re hooked, particularly, when they are accompanied by briny green Calabrian olives, sweet tomatoes, peppery pecorino cheese and un bel bicchiere di vino. It may not be worthy of a Michelin star, but in my mind, heart and stomach, there is nothing grander, for it is the first of the meals we gather to enjoy as a family at Christmas time. This a holiday tradition that I have adopted and proudly carry on. Buon Appetito e Buone Feste!
Ingredients:
- ½ cup warm water
- ½ tsp sugar
- 1 packet yeast
- 8-10 medium potatoes boiled and mashed
- 12 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tbls salt
- 5 cups warm water
- Anchovy fillets
Method:
Dissolve the sugar and yeast packet in warm water and allow to leaven. Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl combine the remaining ingredients along with the leavened yeast and knead together to form a smooth sticky dough. Cover and allow to rise for 2-3 hours. Once they have risen, they can be shaped and fried in deep pan or pot of hot vegetable oil. When shaping the zippoli, keep a bowl of water nearby to keep hands from sticking.
To make the plain zippoli, simply break off small balls of dough and drop them into oil. To fill them, break off a ball of dough, spread it open onto the palm of your hand, place the anchovy fillets in the centre and then wrap the dough around the filling to form a log shape and give it a twist to seal before dropping it into the pan. The zippoli will float to the surface when cooking. Fry for a few minutes on each side until they are golden, remove and drain on a paper towel.
