AI-generated image
Paparajotes
Paparajotes: lemon leaves dipped in batter, fried and rolled in cinnamon sugar (the leaf isn't eaten)
Paparajotes are the sweet of the Murcian huerta's spring festivals, above all the Bando de la Huerta, when the city fills with people in traditional dress and stalls fry them by the hundred. A lemon tree leaf is dipped in a light batter, fried and dusted with cinnamon sugar; you hold it by the stalk, pull off the crisp coating with your teeth and leave the leaf, which flavours the batter but is not food. Newcomers who try to eat the whole thing are a long-standing local joke. Chef's tip: use only leaves from an unsprayed lemon tree, washed and dried.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the batter
To fry and coat
Shop this recipe on Amazon
Fresh ingredients (4)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Whisk the 2 eggs, ¾ cup milk, 1 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp lemon zest and 1 pinch salt together. Sift in the 5 ½ oz plain flour and 1 tsp baking powder and whisk to a smooth batter about as thick as double cream. Rest for 10 minutes.
12 minStep 2: Mix the 4 tbsp sugar and 2 tsp ground cinnamon on a plate.
1 minStep 3: Heat the 3 ¼ cups sunflower oil for frying in a deep pan to 350°F, when a drop of batter rises at once and sizzles.
6 minStep 4: Holding each of the 24 fresh lemon leaves by its stalk, dip it into the batter so it is coated on both sides, let the excess drip off and lower it into the oil. Fry 4–5 at a time for about 1 minute a side until puffed and golden.
12 minStep 5: Drain on kitchen paper for a few seconds, then roll in the cinnamon sugar while hot.
3 minStep 6: Serve warm and tell everyone to eat only the coating: a common mistake with first-timers is biting into the leaf, which is tough, bitter and not meant to be eaten.
0 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 230 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 30 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does paparajotes take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of baking powder?
- ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda + ½ tsp cream of tartar per 1 tsp.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Baklava
The famous layered pastry: crisp sheets of buttered fillo sandwich a filling of almonds, pistachios and cashews spiced with cinnamon, cardamom and saffron. After baking, the hot baklava is soaked in a syrup of sugar, honey, lemon, rose and cardamom and decorated with almond and pistachio flakes. Cut into 40 diamonds; serve with fresh cream or ice cream.
Horchata de chufa
Horchata de chufa is the drink of Valencia's summer, sold ice-cold in the city's horchaterías with long, soft fartons pastries for dipping. It is made from chufas, or tiger nuts: small wrinkled tubers grown around the village of Alboraya just north of Valencia, which have their own protected designation of origin. Soaked, ground with water, strained and sweetened, they give a creamy, nutty, naturally dairy-free milk with a hint of cinnamon. Valencians drink it very cold, or half-frozen as 'granizada'. Chef's tip: soak the tiger nuts for a full 24 hours and change the water once; they must be plump and soft enough to blend into a fine pulp, or the horchata will be thin and taste of raw starch.
Custard sauce
Proper pouring custard made the easy way with custard powder. It's thick, smooth and lightly sweet, just right with apple pie, crumbles, fruit salad and trifle. Serve it warm, or chill it for trifles.
British