Le Chiacchiere

With

Silvia Colloca

Italian carnival pastries: thin fried strips dusted with icing sugar. Shatter, dust, eat.

Cook

MINS

SERVES

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About this recipe

Silvia Colloca's thin strips of marsala-spiked dough fried until they shatter, then snowed under with icing sugar. Italian carnival sweets, called chiacchiere in some regions, frappe in others, eaten in the streets of every Italian town in February. Light as paper.

The carnival sweets (dolci di carnevale) are eaten across Italy during the run-up to Lent, with each region claiming its own name for the same essential pastry: chiacchiere in Naples and the south, frappe in Rome and Lazio, cenci in Tuscany, galani in Venice, bugie in Piedmont. The recipe varies subtly but the structural intent is identical: a thin, fried, sugar-dusted strip of dough.

The marsala (or any fortified wine) is the foundational flavouring. The alcohol cooks out during the fry but the slight caramelisation effect of the sugar in the wine deepens the crust colour and adds aromatic complexity. Lemon and orange zests in the dough provide the bright citrus note that cuts through the rich fried fat; a pinch of salt sharpens everything.

The dough must be rolled paper-thin (around two millimetres) before cutting into strips and frying; thicker dough produces a doughier, breadier final result rather than the shatter-crisp texture that defines the dish. Cut with a fluted pastry wheel for the proper decorative edge; fry in sunflower or vegetable oil at 180 degrees for about thirty seconds a side. Drain on paper, dust generously with icing sugar while still warm. Eat within an hour; the texture goes soft after that. A glass of cold prosecco alongside, the carnival vibe optional.

Ingredients

- 300g Laucke - Wallaby Bakers Flour, plus extra for dusting

- 30g caster sugar

- 30g unsalted butter, softened

- 2 eggs

- 1 tablespoon marsala wine

- Zest of 1 lemon

- Zest of 1 orange

- A pinch of salt

- Sunflower or vegetable oil, for frying

- Icing sugar, for dusting

Method

1. In a large bowl or on a clean work surface, mix the flour, sugar, salt, the eggs, softened butter and marsala. Mix with a spoon, then knead by hand until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 8 to 10 minutes. Part way through kneading add in the lemon and orange zest.

2. Rest the dough: Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature for 20-30 minutes.

3. Divide the dough into quarters on a floured bench. Flatten one piece and run it through the widest setting on your pasta machine. Fold it in half and repeat a couple of times to smooth it out, flour your dough as you go. Then continue rolling, reducing the thickness each time, until you reach a very thin setting (usually second-to-last). The dough should be almost translucent.

4. Shape the chiacchiere using a fluted pastry wheel or a sharp knife to cut the dough into strips about 3 cm wide and 10–12 cm long. If you like, cut a small slit in the center of each strip.

5. Heat oil in a large, deep pan to 170–180°C. Fry the chiacchiere in batches, turning once, until puffed and golden, about 30–60 seconds per side. Drain on paper towels.

6. Once cool, dust generously with icing sugar. Serve on a platter with espresso or a glass of sweet wine.

Silvia Colloca

Silvia Colloca is a Roman-born cook, opera singer and cookbook author who has spent the last decade documenting the regional cooking of Italy from her home in Sydney. She fronts Silvia’s Masterclass, working through the country one mother-recipe at a time. Her style is patient: fresh pasta by hand, long-rise focaccia, sauces built slow.