Galician-style fried dough treats (Orellas de Entroido-inspired) // Carnival food
🌱🎭 Carnival is coming to your kitchen, and here are these delicious plant-based crunchy treats to get you started! This yummy recipe is inspired by Orellas de Entroido (Galician) – Orejas de Carnaval (Spanish), which means “carnival ears”.
➡️ Orellas de Entroido are very thin fried dough resembling a pig’s ear, hence the name. They are crunchy, very fragrant, and delicious, and they are served as a dessert during Carnival time in Galicia, northwest Spain. There is no standard recipe; each Galician region and family tweaks it a bit.
INGREDIENTS
250g flour
100ml oat drink
25 ml anise extract
1 tablespoon of fruit jam (optional)
50g margarine or plant-based butter
A pinch of salt
Veggie oil for frying
Lemon peel in strips, for frying
Unrefined cane sugar for sprinkling
Cinnamon powder, for sprinkling (optional)
Tip: Simply double the ingredients to make more units.
METHOD
1. Mix the oat drink (slightly hot) with the salt, peach jam, and anise extract.
2. In a large bowl, put the flour, make a hole in the middle, and pour the oat mixture.
3. Mix all the ingredients, add the melted margarine, and knead until the dough doesn’t stick.
4. Then let it rest for approx. an hour; the secret of this dough is rest.
5. Make small portions (about the size of a walnut) and roll them as thin as possible into a slightly rectangular elongated shape. By pinching the dough on one side, you will get the shape of an ear (optional).
6. Heat the veggie oil and add the lemon peels in strips without the white parts. Leave them on the heat for 2 minutes and then remove them.
7. Put each thin dough ear in heated oil; beautiful bubbles will immediately form.
8. Fry until they acquire a golden color on both sides. Remove and place them onto kitchen paper to drain the excess oil.
9. When they have cooled, sprinkle them with granulated unrefined cane sugar and serve them as a dessert, an afternoon snack, or a morning breakfast. Bon Appetit!
🧓🏻💚 Grandma Sita’s tip:
*Roll the dough out onto baking paper to make it easier, although the dough should not stick. If they come out thick, they will not be crunchy.
*Store properly, last crunchy for a week, in a food container, tightly closed.
😋Hungry for more Carnival treats from Galicia? Filloas de Entroido, Galician pancakes similar to French crêpes. 👉Galician-style pancakes (Filloas de Entroido-inspired) and Follas de limón, crispy fried batter lemon leaves. 👉Galician-style lemon leaves (Follas de Limon-inspired)
📗 In Galicia, the Carnival (O Entroido) has a long tradition. It is celebrated throughout the community, although the province of Ourense is the undisputed queen. The magic triangle includes the municipalities of Xinzo, Laza, and Verín, with an ancient tradition of a rural carnival with its typical characters such as Peliqueiros and Cigarróns, among others.
🎭 Pottery mask piece of a Cigarrón, honoring popular carnival tradition in Galicia by Sargadelos, made in Galicia, Spain. (Image right)
🎭 Grandma Sita wears a Venetian mask handcrafted in paper-mâché according to the original Venice Carnival tradition by master artisans made in Venice, Italy. (Image left)
🌍 Incorporating plant-based treats into festive celebrations worldwide is becoming more popular. All of us can take action at home to reduce waste and transition our diets to be more planet-friendly before, during, and after the Carnival season. Every bit counts. Happy Carnival!