Galani

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Large wooden board or clean work surface
• •Rolling pin or pasta machine
• •Fluted pastry wheel (or sharp knife)
• •Heavy deep pot or Dutch oven for frying
• •Deep-frying thermometer
• •Spider or slotted spoon
• •Fine-mesh sieve for dusting

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the dough

   Mound the flour on a wooden board or clean work surface. Create a wide well in the center. Add the sugar, egg yolks, whole egg, softened butter, lemon zest, salt, and grappa to the well. Using a fork, beat the wet ingredients together, gradually drawing in flour from the inner walls of the well. When the mixture becomes too thick for the fork, use your hands to bring it together into a rough mass.

2. 2

   Knead until smooth

   Knead the dough firmly for 8 to 10 minutes. Push it away with the heel of your hand, fold it back, turn it, and repeat. The dough should become completely smooth and slightly elastic. It will feel drier than pasta dough. This is correct. Wrap it tightly in plastic and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. Do not skip the resting. The gluten must relax or the dough will fight you when you roll it.

   If the dough seems too dry and crumbly, add grappa by the half-teaspoon. If too sticky, dust with flour. The humidity in your kitchen affects these things.
3. 3

   Roll the dough thin

   Divide the rested dough into four portions. Work with one at a time, keeping the rest covered. Using a rolling pin or pasta machine, roll each portion as thin as you possibly can. If using a machine, pass it through progressively thinner settings until you reach the second-thinnest. The dough should be nearly translucent. Hold it up to the light. You should see the shadow of your hand through it. If you cannot, roll it thinner.

   A hand-cranked pasta machine makes quick work of this. The motor-driven ones work too. But I learned with a mattarello, a long wooden rolling pin, and there is satisfaction in doing it by hand at least once.
4. 4

   Cut the ribbons

   Using a fluted pastry wheel or a sharp knife, cut the rolled dough into ribbons about 2 inches wide and 5 to 6 inches long. The fluted edge is traditional and creates a prettier fry. If you wish, tie each ribbon into a loose knot, or twist it once. You may also leave them as flat rectangles. Lay the cut pieces on clean kitchen towels, not touching each other, while you cut the remaining dough.

5. 5

   Heat the oil

   Pour oil to a depth of 2 inches in a heavy, deep pot or Dutch oven. Heat over medium-high until the oil reaches 340 to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Test with a small scrap of dough. It should sink, then rise immediately and begin bubbling vigorously. If it browns too fast, the oil is too hot. If it sits there doing nothing, the oil is too cold.

   Lard was traditional and produces a crisper fry. Use it if you have it and do not mind the extra richness. Vegetable oil is perfectly acceptable and is what most Italian home cooks use today.
6. 6

   Fry in batches

   Slide three or four ribbons into the hot oil. Do not crowd them. They will puff and blister almost immediately. Fry until golden on the bottom, about 30 seconds, then flip them with a slotted spoon or spider and fry the second side until evenly golden, another 20 to 30 seconds. The galani should be covered with small bubbles and feel almost weightless when lifted. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with paper towels.

7. 7

   Dust and serve

   While the galani are still slightly warm but no longer hot, dust them generously with powdered sugar through a fine-mesh sieve. Pile them high on a serving plate. They should be eaten within hours, while still perfectly crisp. By the next day, they will have softened. This is why Carnival is a time of abundance. You make more than you need and eat them all.

Chef Tips

• •The thinner you roll the dough, the better the result. Thick galani are chewy and disappointing. Thin galani shatter like glass and dissolve on the tongue.
• •Grappa is traditional in the Veneto. Elsewhere, cooks use vin santo, Marsala, rum, or even just dry white wine. The alcohol helps create the characteristic blistering and ensures a crisp fry. Do not omit it.
• •Store fried galani in a single layer in an airtight container, or stack them gently between sheets of parchment. They are best the day they are made. By the second day, dust them again with powdered sugar to revive the appearance.

Advance Preparation

• •The dough can be made up to one day ahead and refrigerated, tightly wrapped. Bring it to room temperature before rolling.
• •Rolled and cut ribbons can wait, covered with clean towels, for up to two hours before frying.
• •Fried galani are best eaten within 6 hours. By the next day they will have softened. You can attempt to crisp them in a low oven, but they are never quite the same.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 10g)