Xerotigana Kritis (Ξεροτήγανα Κρήτης)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •deep heavy pot, 24 to 28cm wide
• •long-handled fork or two-prong carving fork
• •fluted pastry wheel
• •wire rack
• •candy or frying thermometer

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the dough

   Put the flour and salt in a wide bowl. Make a well and add the olive oil, tsikoudia, orange juice, lemon juice, and orange zest. Mix with your hand until shaggy, then knead for 6 to 8 minutes, until the dough is smooth, firm, and no longer sticky. It should feel like pasta dough, not bread dough.

   If the dough feels dry after kneading, wet your fingers and knead again. Don't pour in a careless splash of liquid, because a soft dough is harder to roll thin.
2. 2

   Rest the dough

   Cover the dough and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. This little rest matters. It relaxes the dough so you can roll it thin without it snapping back like a stubborn strap.

3. 3

   Make the syrup

   While the dough rests, put the honey, sugar, water, cinnamon stick, and orange peel in a small saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice, remove from the heat, and keep the syrup warm, not boiling. Remove the cinnamon and orange peel before dipping.

4. 4

   Roll paper-thin

   Divide the dough into 4 pieces and keep the pieces covered. Roll one piece at a time on a lightly floured surface into a very thin sheet, about 1mm thick. You should almost see the table through it. This is the step that decides the pastry: thick dough fries heavy, thin dough crisps cleanly and holds the honey without going soft.

5. 5

   Cut the ribbons

   Cut the sheet into long ribbons about 3cm wide and 35 to 45cm long, using a fluted pastry wheel if you have one. Cover the cut ribbons with a clean towel while you roll and cut the rest, so they don't dry into brittle strips before frying.

6. 6

   Fry and coil

   Heat the frying oil in a deep, wide pot to 170C. Slide one ribbon into the oil, catch one end between the tines of a long fork, and turn the fork slowly so the ribbon wraps into a loose spiral. Hold it in place for a few seconds, then let it fry until pale gold and crisp, 45 to 70 seconds. Turn once if needed, lift out carefully, and drain on a rack. Repeat with the remaining ribbons, one or two at a time.

   Keep the oil steady. If it drops too low, the pastry drinks oil. If it runs too hot, the edges brown before the center dries.
7. 7

   Dip in honey

   When all the xerotigana are fried, dip them one at a time into the warm syrup for 8 to 10 seconds, turning gently so the folds are coated. Lift with a slotted spoon and let the extra syrup drip back into the pan. They should glisten, not sit in a puddle.

8. 8

   Finish and serve

   Arrange the xerotigana on a large platter. Mix the walnuts, sesame, and ground cinnamon, then scatter the mixture over the sticky spirals while the syrup is still tacky. Let them stand for at least 20 minutes before serving, so the honey settles into the folds.

Chef Tips

• •Use good honey. Thyme honey is the Cretan instinct here, floral and strong enough to speak through the fried dough. If you can't find it, choose a clear Greek blossom honey, not a dark bitter one.
• •A pasta machine helps, but it isn't required. Roll from the center outward, turn the dough often, and use only enough flour to keep it moving. Too much flour burns in the oil and dulls the syrup.
• •Xerotigana keep well for 4 to 5 days in a covered container at room temperature. Don't refrigerate them. Cold air makes the honey dull and the pastry loses its clean bite.
• •Serve them with Greek coffee, raki, or nothing at all. At a Cretan wedding they arrive piled high, sweet and dangerous, the kind of platter nobody passes only once.

Advance Preparation

• •The dough can rest, covered, for up to 2 hours at room temperature before rolling.
• •The pastries can be fried 1 day ahead and kept uncovered at room temperature, then dipped in warm syrup the day you serve them.
• •The walnut, sesame, and cinnamon topping can be mixed up to 3 days ahead and kept in a sealed jar.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 55g)