Mangia Bene Pasta
Custard:
4 cups whole milk
1-1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
4 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla
For Frying:
1/2 cup flour
1-1/2 cups plain dried bread crumbs
4 egg whites
Vegetable oil for frying
Garnish:
Confectioners' sugar or cinnamon-sugar
To make the custard:
Put the milk to a saucepan.
Add the flour, sugar, and salt and whisk into the milk until well combined and there are no lumps.
Put the egg yolks in a small bowl.
Add the vanilla to the yolks and stir to break up the yolks.
Whisk the yolks into the milk mixture.
Place the saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer, whisking constantly.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue whisking as the mixture starts to thicken.
Cook the custard for 5 minutes, continuing to whisk.
The custard will be very thick and creamy but not stiff.
Remove the saucepan from the heat.
Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with butter or cooking spray.
Pour the hot custard into the dish and spread to an even thickness of about 1-inch.
Allow to cool at room temperature.
Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate 2 to 3 hours or overnight.
To fry the custard:
Place the flour on a plate, the bread crumbs on another plate, and whisk the egg whites in a shallow bowl.
Put vegetable oil in a wide skillet to a depth of 1/4 to 1/2-inch.
Heat the oil over medium-high heat.
With a sharp knife, cut the chilled custard into squares, diamonds, or rectangles, about 1-1/2 to 2 inches on each side.
Lift them from the dish with a small spatula (an offset spatula works well.)
Coat the custard shapes with the flour, then egg whites, then bread crumbs, handling them gently.
Place a few pieces in the hot oil without crowding.
Fry for 1 to 2 minutes on each side, until golden brown.
Lower the heat if the crumbs are browning too quickly.
Transfer the fried creams to a paper towel lined plate to drain.
Allow the creams to cool for just a few minutes, then sprinkle with confectioners' sugar or cinnamon-sugar.
To make cinnamon-sugar, combine 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar with 1 teaspoon on cinnamon.
Serve warm.
Note:
Some of the creams might open a little during frying and some of the cream may leak out.
Although this can't be completely avoided, it does help to be sure that the custard is completely coated before frying.
Also, if the oil gets too 'muddy' from the leaking cream, simply strain it and return it to the skillet to continue frying the creams.
Crema Fritta - "Fried Creams"