Hitit Usulü Kızarmış Elmalı Ekmek (HIT-it oo-SOO-loo kee-ZAR-mis el-MAH-lee EK-mek)
Ancient Anatolian Sweet Fritters
Venture into the culinary landscape of the Hittite empire with this Fried Apple Bread, a delightful sweet treat that combines the flavors of fresh apples with a golden, honey-drenched crust. It's a rustic, yet deliciously satisfying dish that echoes the ingenuity of Hittite cooks.
Recipe Directions
To begin with, peel your apples and cut out their cores. When this is done, chop your apples into chunks, and transfer them into a small bowl. Apples in antiquity were probably not as sweet as apples today, but any apple would work for this. I'm using some sweet eating apples - instead of cooking apples.
Put about 2 tablespoons of butter into a frying pan, and put this onto medium-high heat until it melts. Leave this for about 5 minutes until it starts to become liquid. At this point, toss your apples into the pan, and put it back over medium-high heat. Stir this occasionally for about 5 minutes, or until the apple starts to take on a golden complexion. When they're golden, take them off the heat, and let them cool down while you get to work on your batter.
Mix your tablespoon of salt in with your flour, and whisk everything together. In another bowl, crack an egg, and whisk that together with some melted butter. Whisk it in slowly, so you don't accidentally scramble your egg.
Then, pour in your cider or apple juice - Hittite Cider was unlikely to be carbonated, but this helps the batter stay light when it's cooked! A non-alcoholic substitute would be apple juice, and works just as well, but will result in a slightly denser batter if it’s not carbonated.
When this is done, add your bowl of dry ingredients to your bowl of wet ingredients. Quickly whisk this all together into a lumpy batter - much like pancake batter. Then, pour your cooked apples into this. Fold it all together, and let it sit aside while you prepare your pot of oil.
Pour a good amount of oil into a high-walled pot of your choice. I'm using olive oil, but you could use any neutral-flavoured cooking oil. Put this pot over a high heat, and let it heat up. You'll know when the oil is hot enough when a bit of batter instantly sizzles in the pot. Or just use a thermometer, if you have one.
Pour a large scoop of your apple batter into the oil, being careful not to splash hot oil onto your hands as you do. Don't overcrowd your pot, because then it'll be difficult to flip them. My pot can fit about one apple bread round, but that's also dependant on the size of your pot, and the shape of your batter rounds. Remember - even if it looks uneven, they'll come out looking and tasting amazing no matter the shape!
Leave your rounds to cook for about 4-5 minutes a side, or until they're a deep golden brown. Carefully flip them over when bubbles start to form on the uncooked surface of the rounds, try and use two utensils to flip them if you can!
When both sides of your apple bread is cooked, turn them out onto a wire rack, or a plate lined with kitchen towels, to drain off excess oil.
When they've drained for a few minutes, pour some honey over your apple bread, and serve up!History
While apples and honey might not have been paired in this exact way in ancient Hittite times, this recipe is inspired by the types of ingredients that would have been available, creating a bridge from past to present culinary traditions. Fried Apple Bread can be seen as a celebration of harvest, a dish that honors the Hittite's agricultural roots and their appreciation for nature's bounty.
Ingredients
3 small apples1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup cider (or apple juice)
Honey, for drizzling
Butter, for frying the apples
Oil, for deep-frying the bread
