Frixuelos Asturianos

Ingredients

• 200 g plain flour
• 3 large eggs
• 500 ml whole milk
• 40 g caster sugar
• 2 tbsp anise liqueur or brandy
• Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
• 1 pinch of salt
• 2 tbsp mild olive oil, for the batter
• Extra oil or butter, for the pan
• 4 tbsp caster sugar, for sprinkling

Before you cook

• Grate the lemon zest finely.
• Weigh the flour and sift it into a bowl.
• Take the eggs and milk out of the fridge thirty minutes ahead so the batter comes together smoothly.

Steps

1. Crack the eggs into a large bowl with the forty grams of sugar and whisk them until smooth.
2. Whisk in the anise liqueur, the lemon zest and the pinch of salt.
3. Add the flour and whisk hard until you have a thick, completely lump-free paste.
4. Pour in the milk in a slow stream, whisking all the time, until the batter is as thin as single cream.
5. Whisk in the two tablespoons of olive oil, then cover the bowl and rest the batter in the fridge for thirty minutes.
6. Set a 22 cm non-stick frying pan over medium heat and wipe it with an oiled piece of kitchen paper so only a film remains.
7. Ladle in a small amount of batter and immediately swirl the pan so it spreads to the very edge in a thin lacy layer.
8. Cook for about one minute, until the surface looks dry and the underside is patched with gold.
9. Flip the frixuelo with a palette knife or a confident flick and cook the second side for thirty seconds.
10. Slide it onto a warm plate and wipe the pan again before the next one.
11. Repeat until the batter is used up, stacking the frixuelos as you go.
12. Sprinkle each one with caster sugar, roll it into a loose cigar and serve them warm.