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Ham & Smoked Mozzarella Fritters

Source of Recipe

From "Italian Comfort Food" by the editors of Saveur


Recipe Introduction

"This recipe comes from Pizzeria Starita, a Neapolitan institution where pizzaioli have been sliding pies into the wood-fired oven since 1901. A creamy béchamel binds the fritter filling, which is then chilled to make it easier to cut before it is battered and fried."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for greasing
â—¦ 1 ½ cups flour
â—¦ 5 cups heavy cream
â—¦ Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
â—¦ 1 pound spaghetti
â—¦ 8 ounces smoked mozzarella, cut into ¼-inch pieces
â—¦ 4 ounces cooked Italian ham, cut into ¼-inch pieces
â—¦ Canola oil, for frying
â—¦ 2 cups dried bread crumbs


Recipe

Melt butter in a 1-quart saucepan over medium-high. Add ½ cup flour and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Add cream and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook until thickened, 4 to 5 minutes. Set aside.

Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain and transfer to a bowl. Add reserved sauce, mozzarella, ham, salt, and pepper; mix until combined. Press pasta mixture into baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 1 ½ hours.

Heat 2 inches canola oil in a 6-quart saucepan until a deep-fry thermometer reads 325° F. Whisk remaining flour with 1 cup water to form a batter. Put bread crumbs in a bowl. Using a 2-inch round cutter, cut 30 rounds out of pasta mixture. Dip rounds in batter and roll in bread crumbs. Fry until golden and crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain. Serve hot.

Makes 30