Borrachinos are typical of Asturias (northern Spain) although there are very similar recipes in practically all of Spain. These are fritters that are made with leftover bread from previous days and that once fried are cooked in a light syrup. "Borrachinos" would come to mean little drunks from the cider that is used.
INGREDIENTS :
- Bread with crust, French type, of the day before (the equivalent of a piece of about 200 grams/7 oz, more or less)
- 100 grams (3.5 oz) of sugar
- Half a liter (2 cups and a half) of cider (or white wine)
- 2 eggs
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 lemon
- Whole milk (the needed to soft the bread)
- Oil (50% sunflower + 50% olive)
It should be noted that the measurements are a bit approximate. It will depend on the amount of bread you have.
The first thing to do is remove the crust from the bread. If it is very hard, you have to soak it with a little milk until it is moistened but avoiding that it is soaked. If you see that it is impossible to remove the crust, simply chop it up, wet it with the two beaten eggs and then mash it with a fork. If it is too dry, add the milk little by little. It should be a doughy dough, difficult to knead but easy to put a quantity in a spoon and push with another towards the frying oil.
In a saucepan, heat the cider - or the wine - with the cinnamon stick, the lemon peel without the white part and the sugar, stirring constantly until it begins to boil. When it has boiled, we remove the flavorings and keep it hot while we fry the fritters.
In a deep frying pan with an inch of oil about to smoke, we collect a quantity of bread in a spoon and with another spoon we push it into the oil. It will immediately begin to fry with plenty of bubbling. When it is golden, it can be removed by placing it on an absorbent paper. The shape will not be very round but that is the least of it. Fried a few fritters at a time. If the bread has a crust, be careful because it is easier for it to get too dark without being fried excessively.
Once they are all fried, we take them to the pan with the syrup. We take it to medium-low heat and let it cook for about 20 minutes, approximately.
They are served warm with the broth in which they have been bathed. A luxury dessert for very little money.