Also known as crema fritta (fried cream) or gnocchetti di crema fritta, cremini are a beloved Italian appetizer.
Cremini go with everything
Cremini are much loved in Le Marche, a region south of Florence and north of Rome along the Adriatic Sea. This crispy appetizer is often paired with the Olive Ascolane, fried olives stuffed with meat. Cremini are also perfect alongside fried meat, fish, and vegetables – and even with French fries! In some regions, such as the Veneto, cremini are actually served as a dessert at the end of the meal.
In addition to the savory and sweet combo, the texture is also harmonious on the palate – they literally melt in your mouth. Make them with the following recipe.
Our recipe for Cremini (or gnocchetti di crema fritta)
Makes about 40
Difficulty: medium
Preparation time: 60 minutes, plus 2 hours resting time
Ingredients
For the cremini custard:
2 cups whole milk
6 large egg yolks
½ cup sugar
3 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 oz. all -purpse flour
½ lemon peel
1 vanilla bean pod
For the breading and frying:
Breadcrumbs, to taste
2 large eggs
peanut oil
Method:
Start by preparing the custard. Cook the cream well over medium heat until it reaches a fairly dense and thickened consistency, then pour it into a baking dish, leveling it out to a thickness of about 1″ using a spatula. Don’t cover the custard with plastic wrap as the surface needs to dry out a bit. Let the custard sit in a dry place for about 2 hours. Once cold, turn the custard out onto a cutting board and dice it into equal-sized cubes. Bread the cubes first in breadcrumbs, then in a beaten egg, and once more in the breadcrumbs.
Then fry the breaded cremini in plenty of hot peanut oil, turning them over several times to cook evenly on all sides until golden brown. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and dry on paper towels to absorb excess oil.
To serve as a dessert, coat them with plenty of powdered sugar. Otherwise, add a pinch of salt to serve as an appetizer.
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