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Indian Meal Fritters (Three whites of eggs and add)
three whites of eggs, and add to the above with one large spoonful of cream, another of sweet wine, a squeeze of lemon, and a little nutmeg. Beat this batter half an hour at least. It will be extremely light. Put a good quantity of fine lard in a stew-pan, and drop a spoonful of the batter at a time into it. Fry them; and serve with a sauce composed of a glass of white wine, the juice of a lemon, one dessertspoonful of peach-leaf or almond water, and some white sugar warmed together, or the common wine sauce (which see).
The instructions here pick up in the middle of the method, at the point where the beaten egg whites join a cornmeal batter already prepared. What survives is the enrichment, the frying and two sauce options.
- Indian mealThe English name for cornmeal, or maize meal, imported from America. Fine or medium yellow cornmeal is what a batter of this kind would be built on, though the missing opening lines are what would have given the method and quantities.
- Peach-leaf and almond waterBoth were distilled flavourings whose character came from cyanogenic compounds in peach leaves and bitter almond kernels. Leave them out entirely; a little grated lemon zest or a drop of vanilla in the sauce does the same decorative work without the risk.
- Old measuresA "glass" of wine in period cookery is usually reckoned at about 2 fl oz (60 ml); a large spoonful of cream is about a tablespoon. "Sweet wine" means a dessert wine such as Madeira, Marsala or a sweet sherry.
- Beating the batterHalf an hour of beating was hand work with a whisk. A few minutes with a balloon whisk will aerate the batter; the whites are better whipped separately to soft peaks and folded in, which keeps the lightness the recipe promises.
- The frying fatA "stew-pan" here is a deep, straight-sided saucepan, not a covered baking dish. Enough lard or neutral oil to float the fritters, held at 350-360F (175-180C), gives a set crust before the inside overcooks.
- Frying in batchesDrop the batter a spoonful at a time as directed and do not crowd the pan; each addition drops the fat temperature. Two to three minutes a side, turning once, until deep gold, then drain on paper.
- The sauceWarm the wine, lemon juice and sugar only until the sugar dissolves. Boiling drives off the wine and leaves it sharp; it should stay a thin, glossy pouring sauce.
- YieldThe quantity of meal is in the missing opening, so the yield cannot be reckoned from what survives. Fritters of this kind collapse as they cool, so serve them straight from the pan.