Crispelle calabresi

Step 1: Boil 10 ½ oz floury potatoes in salted water for 20 minutes, until a knife slides in easily, then drain and mash or rice them very smoothly while warm.

Step 2: In a large bowl mix 1 ⅛ lb plain flour, ¼ oz fast-action dried yeast and 2 tsp salt, add the warm mash and 1 cup lukewarm water and beat with your hand or a wooden spoon for 5 minutes. It should be a very soft, sticky dough that stretches in strands, softer than bread dough.

Step 3: Cover and leave in a warm place for 1½–2 hours, until doubled and full of bubbles.

Step 4: Heat 4 ¼ cups sunflower or peanut oil in a deep pan to 350°F, or until a scrap of dough sizzles at once and rises to the top. Keep the pan no more than a third full.

Step 5: With oiled hands pull off a lump the size of a small egg, stretch it into a 15 cm strip and lower it into the oil. Fry 3–4 at a time for 3–4 minutes, turning, until puffed and deep golden all over. A common mistake is crowding the pan, which drops the oil temperature and makes greasy, heavy crispelle.

Step 6: Drain on kitchen paper and eat hot with a pinch of salt, or toss in 4 tbsp caster sugar while warm.