The Fried Dough Ho

When I wrote about the Bombolini at I Preferiti di Boriana, available from the Ferry Plaza, I mistakenly believed they were the only bombolini available. I learned that Arlequin Café, the smaller to-go sister version of Absinthe, has a booth at the Ferry Plaza on Saturdays and offers a multitude of baked goods as well as their version of the Bombolini.

I got their early last Saturday as rumors had it they run out early. It was a shockingly cold day for mid-May and the fact that San Francisco was still experiencing freakishly winter-like later this late in spring is an important factor I’ll touch upon later. There were a few more flavors to choose from than I Preferiti and while I would normally dive right into the raspberry jam, I thought it more important to judge against the custard; most bakeries buy their jam while only a bakery of any worth prepares their own custards from scratch. I was also very intrigued with the Maple Bacon – how could I not be?

Instead of a granulated sugar dusting, these have a very light glaze. It was nice that it was not too heavy or sweet. The cake was dense and not as light as I would have predicted. They were also cold. As was the filling. Too cold, actually. This was my reference to the weather. I asked if they knew when the doughnuts had been fried and no one was quite sure. It is entirely possible that they were made, filled and then refrigerated. Or, at least, that the filling was refrigerated because the flavors were muted. The Bacon Maple was quite lovely, with bits of bacon redolent in the rich, but subdued maple cream.

I also asked if these were available at the store during the week. I have great hopes of trying them warm or fresh. It will require a little investigation and I hope that they are not made solely for the Ferry Plaza as the volume with which they have to be prepared makes it so they have to be done so too far beforehand to be truly exceptional. I’ll keep my fingers crossed and wander down to the Café soon.\

A friend sent me this link and I think I’m in love. Apparently it was a tabletop, home doughnut-making machine which was made and sold through ThinkGeek several years ago and is now unavailable. From the looks of the YouTube video I found, once the batter is prepared, it is poured into the waiting receptacle and the machine forms, fries, and dumps out the freshly-fried miniature offerings, ready for frosting or dusting.

Granted, the ones in the picture above look perfectly-formed while the video below shows them to be more misshapen. But I don’t care. I love the idea that this thing existed and hope-and-against-hope that some day, someone will realize they have one sitting in their garage and send it to me.

And, yes, I still believe in Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny.

Last week was a sad one for me; I had to put down a beloved feline companion after 18 years together. To cheer me up, my Best Foodie Friend, Lisa, took me out for cocktails and to get my mind off the deed. We actually started off at 1300 Fillmore, so I already had some savory fried dough and a cocktail in me when we arrived at Gitane. Located in a secluded and atmospheric alley, getting to Gitane feels like traveling down an historic pathway in Europe with its speckled lights and al fresco setting.

We dined at Gitane’s bar and had a great time and a great meal with just their appetizers. Starting with sardines, moved on to the quail, and finished up with beignets. All served with fabulous cocktails which were innovative and paired well with the food. With the sardines, I had a Sin Nombre (Van Gogh gin, creme de gingembre, cucumber, lemon, egg white, and cracked pepper). With the quail, I had a Gypsy (right gin, green chartreuse, St. Germain, and lime juice).

But this is about their beignets, which we also paired with a cocktail, a Castillan cup (bierzo roble wine, Pimm’s no. 1, sliced cucumber & strawberry, ginger beer, mint). Their beignets are very light with no hint of grease, and served with three different sauces; honey, lemon curd, and a rich, creamy chocolate. Dusted with a bit of powdered sugar, the perfectly-formed pillows of puffed dough provide a not-too-heavy finish to a great meal. The pairing with the cocktail was surprisingly successful; a bright and fruity concoction balances well with the doughy goodness and was not too harsh against the powdered sugar or any of the dipping sauces.

It was a very fortunate day, Sara and Cassandra were able to get me special access to the kitchen area and photograph the station where the chefs create the dough and fry them. There is a long, flour-covered work station and trays of the dough can be seen waiting to be worked and sliced before heading to the deep fryer. Unlike the Western-style commercial fast-food deep fryers which so many McDonalds workers are accustomed to, there are no inset baskets in which the dough is placed. These men of talent carefully hold a long-handled wire strainer and extra long chopsticks to grasp and hold the dough as it is cooking. They have to be careful to not allow the dough to sink to the bottom of the cavernous vat of scalding oil. It is hot, demanding work and while appears easy, requires deft and skill. What a fabulous day to just skim the surface of Chinese fried dough. According to Sara, I’ve got a long way to go in the exploration and I can’t wait to continue.

I grew up with a Father from the south and was well-indoctrinated with his version of hushpuppies. They came from a box mix that I am not even sure is still on the market these days. Dad would make them whenever we had pan-fried trout or catfish or other southern delicacies that he recalled from his youth in Albandy, Georgia. He would tell me the etymology (which I later learned was printed on the side of the box), about how these cornmeal-based fritters’ name came from hunters or fisherman who would throw them to their canine companions to quiet them; literally, “hush, Puppy!” A slightly savory batter, the best hushpuppies I’ve had are studded with scallions and made with buttermilk, fried to golden goodness and served with butter.

At San Francisco’s 1300 Fillmore, southern cuisine is elevated to a more elegant setting. I have dined often on their shrimp-and-grits, fried chicken, and braised short ribs. It was a quiet evening when I stopped in to the bar area for a quick bite and saw shrimp hushpuppies on the appetizer menu. Somewhat anticipating bits of chopped shrimp in the cornmeal batter, I was surprised to see that the dough completely encased a whole shrimp, with the tail protruding out. The coarse hushpuppy batter was acting more like a tempura batter than its own vessel, but I was pleasantly surprised by the tenderness and richness of the batter. Served with an ancho chile remoulade, I found the flavor rich and not too overpowering for the delicate taste of the shrimp. Not a traditional hushpuppy by any means, but still quite enjoyable!