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Fritters (Batters)
The proportions for batter for fritters are: 1/2 cupful of milk; yolk of 1 egg; 1 cup of lightly sifted flour; 1 saltspoonful of salt; 1/2 tablespoonful of melted butter; the white of 1 egg beaten stiffly, and added just before using, beating it in vigorously.
For meat, oysters, clams, or tripe add 1 tablespoonful of lemon juice with the white of the egg, and for clam or oyster fritters the strained liquor is substituted for milk.
For fruit fritters add a teaspoonful of sugar with the yolk of the egg. In all cases the batter should be just stiff enough to drop quickly from the spoon.
This is a base formula rather than a finished dish: a thin egg batter meant to coat something else, with three variations for meat, shellfish and fruit. The whole thing hinges on the beaten white going in at the last moment.
- The hinge: add the white lastThe stiffly beaten white is what makes the coating puff in the fat. Fold or beat it in immediately before frying and use the batter within a few minutes; a batter that stands loses its lift and fries heavy.
- A saltspoonfulA saltspoon is about 1/4 teaspoon. The half tablespoon of melted butter is 1 1/2 teaspoons.
- Flour measure"Lightly sifted" means sifted then spooned into the cup without packing, roughly 4 oz / 115 g. Modern scooped flour will make the batter noticeably stiffer, so hold a little back and judge by the consistency named at the end.
- Consistency test"Just stiff enough to drop quickly from the spoon" is the only real gauge given. Thin with a spoonful of milk or shellfish liquor, or thicken with a dusting of flour, until a spoonful releases in one mass rather than running or clinging.
- Shellfish liquorFor clam or oyster fritters the strained liquor replaces the milk entirely. Strain it through cloth, as grit is common, and taste before adding the salt since the liquor is already saline.
- TripeTripe sold today is cleaned but not usually fully tender. It needs long simmering until soft and then cooling before it is dipped; the batter and fry are only a finish.
- FryingThe recipe gives no frying directions. By modern practice, deep fat at 365-375F; fry in small batches so the temperature holds, and drain on paper. Much below about 350F the batter absorbs fat instead of browning.
Fritter batters like this one belong to an old family of English and American cookery: a single egg divided, its yolk worked into flour and liquid for body and its white beaten separately for lift. What is characteristic of the entry is its form. Rather than giving separate recipes for oyster, apple and tripe fritters, the compiler states one set of proportions and then lists the adjustments needed: lemon juice for meat, oysters, clams and tripe, sugar for fruit, and shellfish liquor in place of milk. Reducing several dishes to a single formula plus variations is a common form in the large household compendia of the period.