Carrot Fritters

James B White

Captain
Honored Fallen Comrade
Joined
Dec 4, 2011
From Mrs. N. K. M. Lee, here's an unusual fritter. Fritters could be made with many different ingredients, and carrots were used for pies and puddings like pumpkin filling, but here the carrots were used as the primary flavor in fritters. I like these even after they're cold.

CARROT FRITTERS. Beat two or three boiled carrots to a pulp with a spoon; add to them six eggs and a handful of flour; moisten them with either cream, milk, or white wine, and sweeten them. Beat all together well, and fry in boiling lard. When of a good color, take them off and squeeze on them the juice of a Seville orange, and strew over fine sugar.

Unless Mrs. Lee was stronger than all of us, I expect she meant to boil the carrots, then beat them to a pulp with a spoon. This is how she said to boil them: "Let them be well washed and brushed, not scraped. An hour is enough for young spring carrots; grown carrots must be cut in half, and will take from an hour and a half to two hours and a half. When done, rub off the peels with a clean cheese cloth, and slice them in two or four, according to their size. The best way to try if they are done enough, is to pierce them with a fork."

She doesn't give quantities for the moistening or the sugar, but this is a case where the goal is to add enough moistening to create a stiff batter suitable for fritters, and enough sugar to make them taste well. Either white or brown sugar would do, as the brown wouldn't mar the already orangish color. The "fine sugar" at the end does imply white, if fine refers to both quality and texture.

Have the lard boiling and drop the batter in by large spoonfuls, taking them out when they're light brown, then frying the next batch.

Seville Oranges are available as a specialty today, also called sour oranges or bitter oranges or marmalade oranges.

On p. 81, Mrs. Lee suggested, "Fritters should be sent to table served upon a folded napkin in the dish." That would help absorb any excess lard.
 
Wow, 2-1/2 hours for carrots. It surely would not hard to mash them then! I think Seville orange marmalade would be tastier than the juice. Mmmmm....my mouth is watering!
 
I love carrots and this is a new way to use them for sure, thanks for sharing. I'm with you @Northern Light in regards to taking over two hours for boiling carrots. Though when you think of how long baby carrots in stew stay firm even after being in a crock pot for hours it doesn't seem so extreme.
 
I love carrots and this is a new way to use them for sure, thanks for sharing. I'm with you @Northern Light in regards to taking over two hours for boiling carrots. Though when you think of how long baby carrots in stew stay firm even after being in a crock pot for hours it doesn't seem so extreme.
Yes, but the crockpot doesn't really "boil" them. It is more of a simmer. Boiling for 30 minutes would be more than adequate. Two hours is just overkill.
 
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