Fried Milk Cream, Crema di Latte Fritta aka Crema Fritta in Italian, indicates small morsels made of custard cream rather firm, breaded and fried. It’s typical of many Italian regions, and depending on the geographical area it can be served as a savoury antipasto, side dish or dessert.

Typical of Emilia Romagna (crema fritta bolognese), Veneto (crema fritta veronese), Liguria (latte dolce fritto) Marche and Abruzzo but is also widespread in other regions of Central Italy. In Le Marche region you may find it also in a savoury version, eaten along with a mixture of fried olives like Olive all’Ascolana , vegetables as part of the Ascolana mixed fried food, ‘Fritto all’Ascolana’.
‘All’ Ascolana’ refers to Ascoli Piceno town in Le Marche region, Central Italy.

Makes: about 20 pcs | Preparation time: 20 mins | Cooking time: 25 mins

  • Plain flour / All Purpose Flour: 100 g
  • Caster sugar: 50 g
  • Whole Milk: 500 ml
  • Eggs: 5
  • Lemon zest: of about 1 lemon
  • Breadcrumbs: to taste
  • Peanut oil, for deep-frying, 1 lt

Method

Heat up the milk in a saucepan without bringing it to a boil.

Mix 2 whole eggs+1 egg yolk, the sugar and a pinch of salt in a deep casserole. Grate lemon peel, sift the flour, add both to the eggs and mix well.

Once the mixture is homogeneous and without lumps, slowly add the milk and stirring.
Place the casserole on the stove over low heat and keep stirring whilst you bring slowly the mixture to a slow boil.

Cook for 5 minutes, then pour the custard cream onto a baking tray lined with baking paper. Use a spatula to even out the cream; the layer of custard cream should be about 2 cm thick. Leave it to rest in a cool and dry place.

Tip: Don’t put the cream in the fridge. Fridge’s humidity would prevent it from solidifying properly.

When the cream is cold, cut it into small cubes.

Beat up the remaining eggs into a bowl, put breadcrumbs into another one. Heat up the peanut oil in a large frying pan.

Dip each piece of solidified custard cream into the eggs, coat them evenly onto the breadcrumbs, then deep-fry it into the peanut oil.

Tip: Fry 3 or maximum 4 pieces at a time over a high flame, otherwise the temperature of the oil will drop with the risk that the fried food will be less crispy and greasy.

Remove the pieces of crema fritta from the oil with a skimmer and place them on a shallow plate lined with kitchen paper.

Serve warm

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