Farturas

Ingredients

Batter

• 500 mlwater
• 100 gbutter
• 1 tbspsugar
• 1 tspsalt
• 280 gplain flour
• 3eggs
• 1 tspbaking powder

To fry and finish

• 1.5 litresoil
• 200 gcaster sugar
• 2 tbspground cinnamon

Directions

1. Bring the water, butter, sugar and salt to a full rolling boil.
2. Tip in the flour all at once and beat hard over the heat for 2 minutes, until it forms a smooth ball that leaves the sides of the pan.
3. Cool it to lukewarm, then beat in the eggs one at a time along with the baking powder.
4. The batter should be thick enough to hold a piped ridge but soft enough to extrude without fighting you every centimetre.
5. Fill a piping bag or a churrera fitted with a large star nozzle.
6. Heat the oil to 180°C (355°F) in a wide pan.
7. Pipe directly into the oil in one long continuous spiral, working from the outside of the pan inwards.
8. Farturas are piped as a single unbroken length and cut afterwards, which is exactly why they are sold by the metre at fairs.
9. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes a side, turning the whole coil once with two spatulas, until deep golden and rigid.
10. Lift it out, drain briefly on a rack, and cut it into lengths with scissors.
11. Toss the pieces in cinnamon sugar while still hot so that it clings.
12. Eat them immediately, standing beside the bumper cars, which is where they belong.

Technique

• The star nozzle is structural rather than decorative. The ridges let the fritter cook through before the outside burns.
• They are a fixture of Portuguese romarias and saints’ festivals, sold from mobile stalls at every one.
• Fartura means abundance, which is a fair description of a metre of fried dough.

Substitutions

• A churrera press, which is far easier on the hands than a piping bag for this quantity.
• Half milk in place of some of the water for a richer batter.

Variations

• Cut short into individual fritters, like churros.
• With chocolate sauce for dipping.
• Filled with doce de ovos, which some stalls now do.

History

A fixture of Portuguese romarias and saints’ festivals, sold from mobile stalls beside the bumper cars.

Frequently asked questions

What is Farturas?

Farturas is a street food from Portugal: long ridged fritters fried at fairs, dusted with cinnamon sugar, sold by the metre. A fixture of Portuguese romarias and saints’ festivals, sold from mobile stalls beside the bumper cars.

How long does Farturas take to make?

Farturas takes 20 min of preparation and 25 min of cooking. The recipe makes 6 long coils. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Farturas?

Yes, within limits. A churrera press, which is far easier on the hands than a piping bag for this quantity. Half milk in place of some of the water for a richer batter.

What is the most important thing to get right in Farturas?

Fry for 2 to 3 minutes a side, turning the whole coil once with two spatulas, until deep golden and rigid.