Fried Milk

Fried milk is a simple and delightful dessert, typical of traditional Italian cuisine, especially in some regions of the north. Here’s how to prepare it.

Ingredients

• 500 ml of whole milk
• 100 g of sugar
• 50 g of flour
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 vanilla bean or a pinch of vanillin
• Grated lemon zest (optional)
• A pinch of salt
• Flour, for breading
• Eggs, for breading
• Breadcrumbs, for breading
• Seed oil, for frying
• Icing sugar, for decoration

Preparation

1. In a saucepan, heat the milk with the vanilla bean slit lengthwise or vanillin, and grated lemon zest if you wish to add a citrus aroma.

2. In a bowl, mix the yolks with the sugar until a smooth cream is formed. Then add the sifted flour and a pinch of salt, and continue to stir to avoid lumps.

3. Remove the vanilla bean (if used) and the lemon zest from the now warm milk and pour the liquid in a thin stream over the mixture of yolks, sugar, and flour, continuing to stir.

4. Put the mixture back on the fire and, stirring constantly, let it thicken until it reaches a consistency similar to that of pastry cream.

5. Pour the obtained cream into a rectangular container previously moistened with cold water, leveling it to a thickness of about 1.5 cm.

6. Cover with cling film and let cool in the fridge for at least 3 hours, until the cream has become solid.

7. Once set, cut the cream into squares or rectangles.

8. Bread each piece of cream first in flour, then in beaten egg, and finally in breadcrumbs, making sure to coat them well.

9. In a skillet, heat plenty of seed oil and fry the breaded pieces until they are golden and crispy on all sides.

10. Drain them on paper towels to remove excess oil and dust with icing sugar before serving.

Curiosity

Fried milk, in addition to being a tempting dessert, has a very ancient origin that dates back at least to the Renaissance. It was a way to use milk differently and represented a rather sought-after sweet in the era.