Recipe: Pan Fritto con Acciuga - Carlos: Maybe you are referring to this savory recipe!

PAN FRITTO CON ACCIUGA

"Dear Cassandra:
I would like to ask you about a fried bread dough with dried cod fish in it. My father used to make it for Christmas Eve.

The dough would be puffed up as large as a jelly doughnut (filled).

The cod fish was soaked in clean cold water for three days.

The water was changed at least twice a day. Then it was boiled and cut up in squares and put in a sticky dough and deep fried.

It was so good. I hope you can help me find this recipe.

Mary/West Pittsburgh

Mary's request is for one of the most versatile fritters in Italian-American cooking. Once the dough is made it can be fried plain like a doughnut and toped with sugar, honey, or glaze; or stuffed with a variety of things like cod, anchovy, black olives, nuts, or cheese. Each region in Italy seems to have a favorite stuffing and a different name for this delicious fritter (they can also be used for corn fritters).

The Neapolitan-Americans call it pastette de baccala and stuff it with cod. They serve it up along with other wonderful dishes for their Christmas Eve feast for which they are famous. They also serve a sweet version.

The Sicilian-Americans fix it a number of ways, too. As a savory, it is stuffed with anchovy, but as a sweet it has more variations. When piled into a mound, coated with honey, and topped with small candy sprinkles it is called struffoli. When pine nuts are added to the honey, it is called pignolata.

Guess what, yes, it too has a Middle Eastern tradition.

The recipe below is with anchovy as it appears in our book Immigrant's Kitchen: Italian. It ws given to us by our friends the Amico's, Sicilian-Americans from New Castle, PA. To turn it into the cod-filled fritters that Mary remembers, simply replace the anchovies with six to eight ounces of boiled cot cut into 15 to 20 one-inch squares.

3 oz anchovies
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
pinch of salt
1/4 oz dry years
1 egg
2 cups water
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cups corn oil

Drain the anchovies and cut each fish into thirds. Set aside. Combine flour, sugar, salt, and yeast in a bowl. Beat egg and combine with water and 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the egg mixture to the flour and mix until blended. Dough should be soft and runny. Place in a bowl, cover, and let rise for one to one and a half hours.

When the dough is double the original size, remove it from the bowl and set it on a pastry board. Pinch off 1 teaspoon, flatten it in the palm of your hand, place an anchovy in the center and seal it inside by rolling the dough into a ball.

If the dough is too soft to handle, allow it to remain in the bowl. Keep a little extra flour on hand. Take a teaspoon, dip into the dough, pull up enough dough to fill the spoon. With flour on your fingers, trim off any hanging dough. Place the anchovy in the center of the dough and fold the dough over it. Do not place it on a board, but drop it directly into hot oil, coaxing it from the spoon with a floured finger.

Place a two quart pot over medium-high heat. Heat to hot. Add oil. Allow to heat. Drop anchovy balls into the hot oil one at a time. They will puff immediately. Allow to brown. Turn. Remove and drain. Eat warm.
Yield: 35 to 40

Note: The dough will be very runny. The secret to handling it is to rub your hands with a little oil. Once it sets do not use oil again or you will not be able to stuff it.""

Source: Telerama/Internet