Leche Frita Recipe
Today we are together with one of the few desserts of Spanish cuisine; leche frita, literally means fried milk. It's not milk, actually, it's custard. After cooling, a starchy custard is sliced covered in flour and egg, fried and covered again with cinnamon and sugar mixture. It is the perfect example of Spaniards' viewpoint of food. It has lemon peels and cinnamon. It's fried. It has lots of eggs. And last it's covered with cinnamon and sugar. When it comes to the result, it's one of a kind dessert. It has a soft, pleasant consistency and a unique flavor.
I love the custard technique of Spanish cuisine. As in the creama catalana recipe, milk is first heated and flavored with cinnamon stick and citrus. This process adds a unique smell and flavor to the custard. It is possible to see the same technique in Portuguese cuisine also. The fact that both countries are a citrus paradise has also affected their cuisines.
I have two important notes on the recipe. First after you fry the custard please wait until they are cooled to prevent sugar from melting. Second, serve immediately after covering them with sugar and cinnamon mixture, also again to prevent sugar from melting.
Enjoy the recipe...
Ingredients
- 4 cups of milk,
- 1/2 cup corn starch,
- 3/4 cup of sugar,
- 2 egg yolks,
- Yellow peel of half a lemon,
- 1 cinnamon stick,
- Oil for frying.
For topping;
- 1 egg,
- 2 egg whites,
- 1/2 cup flour,
- 1/2 cup sugar,
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder.
Preparation
- Take 3 cups of milk, lemon peels and cinnamon stick into a saucepan,
- Cook over medium heat until it starts to boil and remove from heat,
- Remove the lemon peels and cinnamon stick,
- Beat the egg yolks, sugar, starch and the remaining 1 cup milk in a separate bowl,
- Pour a little bit of hot milk into the mixture and beat quickly,
- After the mixture is warmed, add to the milk in the saucepan and beat quickly,
- Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until set,
- Pour the mixture into a 20 * 26 cm container,
- Cover with a plastic wrap directly on the custard after the first heat is released,
- When it reaches to room temperature, put it in the refrigerator and let it rest for 6-24 hours.
- Remove the plastic wrap and slice the custard to the desired pieces,
- Beat two egg whites and one egg in a bowl,
- Cover slices first with flour and then beaten egg and deep fry in hot oil, take into a strainer,
- After the fried custard becomes warm, mix the sugar and cinnamon on a plate,
- Cover the fried custard with cinnamon sugar mixture,
- Serve immediately.
Bon Appetit...