The Fried Dough Ho

The California-based Fried Dough Ho is off to visit the far-off land of Texas; Austin, to be exact. But getting to the strange and wonderful involved stopping in Dallas for a connector flight. I love wandering around airports. There is always interesting sites indicative of a locale and many airports have some really exceptional art structures. In the Dallas Terminal D hub, for example, is The Crystal Mountain by New York artist Dennis Oppenheim, an aluminum structure measuring 45 x 30 feet. It is cold and menacing with its harsh and upward-point shards, but also approachable in that you can enter its structure and be engulfed in warm, blue light.

But this is supposed to be about doughnuts and what gave me great joy in my 45-minute wandering, was stumbling upon three people in the market. T-shirts ironically proclaiming, “On A Mission,” I watched from a distance as they entered into a great debate on which Krispy Kreme to try. It was getting somewhat humorous and I finally asked if I could snap their picture. “This one has like that yellow cream inside!” “But you are a chocolate person!” “Wait, what about this one?” This debate went on for at least five minutes. Three people couldn’t decide which Krispy Kreme to try.

And so I offer for your amusement, just a moment in time with fellow devotees. They were gracious and enthusiastic and thought it was sort of funny that I wanted to take their picture. I never did inquire why the decision was so hard; are there no Krispy Kreme where they were from? It was just a moment in time, but one so enjoyed and savored.

When it comes to my fried dough adventures, I am beginning to discover there are two very distinctive avenues of exploration. First, there are the must-try, pre-determined establishments, such as when I happened to be in Seattle and made sure I visited Top Pot, or part of the birthday celebration of going to Frances just for Bacon Beignets. These are very particular destination trips for me in my never-ending search for the epitome of fried dough.

Then there are the surprises — those trips to highly acclaimed restaurants like my visit to Bottega in Yountville and stumbling on the fact that they offer both a savory and sweet fried dough. Or a trip to England where the intent was to search for grouse at an acclaimed gastropub, Harwood Arms, and instead finish an amazing meal with delectable Bramley Apple Doughnuts.

So it was on this cool Monday afternoon. Dashing home from a last-minute appointment, that I realize I had barely eaten a breakfast and lunch was already upon me. Rumblings in my stomach coaxed me to debate the offerings of the neighborhood where I found myself, the corner of Fillmore and California. La Boulange is a standard choice for me as their Niçoise for under $10 is always satisfying. There is a new Mexican which I have yet to try, but I am really not a fan of south-of-the-border flavors. It was just nigh on 11:30 and fortunately for me, there were still seats to be had at the bar at Delfina Pizzeria and a broccoli rabe pizza with Hen of the Wood mushrooms with my name on it.

I wasn’t even that hungry and was only one slice into eating my pizza when I glanced over my shoulder and saw the dessert menu printed on the mirror behind me, “Zeppole de San Guiseppe.” O.M.Y.G.O.S.H. There was to be an unexpected fried dough treat in my future! I confirmed with the waitress what THEY believed Zeppole to be (because I certainly have ordered things called doughnuts before which proved to be anything BUT doughnuts). She held her hands out to start describing the size of the plate, “Zeppole is this large fried dough….” I held up my hand with a knowing smile, stopping her in mid-stence. “Perfect,” I confirmed. “I’ll be packaging up the bulk of my pizza to save room for dessert.”

At Delfina, the Zeppole is created from their famous pizza dough, rolled out extra thin and fried very crisp in an elongated, misshapen form. Dusted with powdered sugar and topped with a Bavarian-style mascarpone cream, this is both incredibly light and delightfully tasty. Delfina serves two to the order, one so large that it spills over the edge of the plate. With the pizza dough rolled so thinly, when fried the subsequent zeppole is full of large air holes making it that much lighter. There is no hint of greasiness and the sweetness is added afterward, with the powdered sugar and the rich, mascarpone-based cream, drizzled atop almost haphazardly. The dessert was served with clean silverware and an additional plate. For me, it was easier to pick up and consume like your standard slice of pizza, with your hands.

The surprise happenstance of stumbling on such an enticing form of fried dough in my own neighborhood was not only happy synchronicity, but also makes Delfina more a destination spot for me in the future. I admit to craving those heavy, cakey fried dough offerings, but to enjoy something so light and different than their heavier counterparts which have been my norm lately, was a special treat.

It was a pretty special day. Actually, it was pretty mundane as I was at home working on some jewelry when I glanced through the day’s events online, only to discover there was a Polish Festival going on at that very minute in Golden Gate Park. I had to get there fast — it was already 2:00 in the afternoon! The trip was a total gamble. I checked out a car and drove pell-mell through the streets of San Francisco, hoping against hope that part of the traditional foods being offered at the festival might be Pączki, the Polish version of a jelly doughnut. When I arrived, there was a long line of people waiting to get into the building. I got in that line and waited too — then I noticed a guy who just sauntered by and just walk in. I asked the security guard what the line was for (assuming it was the entrance) and was told it was for food. Before I am going to spend an hour in line for food, I at least wanted to see if they had what I was looking for…

The line for hot food was incredibly long. Upwards of an hour plus, if not longer. It winded its way into the large room with banquet tables where many were already feasting on boiled dumplings, sausages, and more. But then I saw it – up against the back wall was a very long table set with sweets. Fortunately, that table didn’t require the tickets that were sold for the hot food and a young girl — probably 9 or 10 years old — was taking cash for the desserts.

What I was looking for came au natural (no filling) or with plum filling. And nearby, I saw a gentleman working furiously to fill these Pączki. And very fortunate for me, Edmund was more than willing to help me learn more about this ethnic specialty. (more…)

Yes, it is true. During a visit to jolly-old England last fall, I was on a mission to experience Grouse, a specialty game bird that is only available during a very short hunting season in the U.K. and is rarely exported to the U.S. Well, if it IS exported, then it is frozen. I did my research to find one of the better places to eat grouse and was recommended to Harwood Arms. I’ll write up that grouse dinner on a different site, but suffice to say I was definitely thrilled that this five course, sumptuous meal culminated in an offering of Fried Dough!

Bramley Apple Doughnuts with Spiced Sugar and Whipped Cream was how it was listed on the menu. These gorgeous puffs, approximately golf-ball sized, arrived in a sturdy wooden basket lined with brown butcher paper and served with whipped cream.

Unlike our American counterparts, I think some explanation is due on the British decadence of baked goods and dairy products. I am a confessed Anglophile and adore most things British and these golden morsels truly exemplified how such a simple thing can be so decadent. To start, being in the company of handful of gorgeous and charming gentlemen, we had been sipping wine all evening and having wine with doughnuts was no exception; here, a 2006 Clos Dady Sauternes.

The doughnuts were studded with a fine Bramley apple purée which provided an underlying richness beyond pure cooked dough. British sugar is finer in texture than American granulated sugar, so the mouth entry is engaging. And then there is the whipped cream. This is not like any American whipped cream; more akin to crème fraîche, it is denser and richer with a slight tang that complements the dried apricot of the Sauternes and the rich apple of the doughnut. And when all was said and done? Yep, they sent me home with some…

29 Walham Grove
London SW6 1QP
Neighbourhood: West Brompton
020 7386 1847

From time to time, it is my plan to share special video clips from movies and television which showcase my favorite indulgence. You will be surprised how many there are! But the inaugural post is a special one, coming from one of my favorite television shows of all time, Twin Peaks. A bit vintage now, I realize, but it was so full of odd food fodder, not the least of which were donuts. Enjoy!