1 lb Ham fat; with skin, in 16
- squares
1 qt Oil, tallow or lard
MMMMM---------------------------BATTER--------------------------------
2 1/2 c Flour; sifted
2 c Water or club soda; cold
Egg yolks
1 pn Salt
Cut the ham fat into 16 equal, squarish pieces. Set aside.
Put oil/tallow/lard into a deep fryer or a fondue pot to heat.
While the cooking oil is heating to 360 F/180 C
Make the batter. I prefer to use club soda as it gives a lighter
(and I think) crispier batter. You may use plain old cold water if
you wish. A couple (or three) egg yolks help hold things together
and blend in.
When the oil is hot, dip the chunks of fat into the batter and fry
in the hot oil until golden brown.
Serve hot.
If you have batter left over you may want to fry up some
batter-dipped crudities (cauliflower or broccoli florets, onion
rings, or bell pepper strips/rings) as an accompaniment.
Serve with your favourite hot-pepper sauce on the side.
From: The fevered brain of Uncle Dirty Dave, in his kitchen one
dark and stormy night. Inspired by the glut of fried "stuff" hawked
at fairs and expositions. This ain't "healthy" in any key. But it
IS tasty.
