Recipes

Salty talk

Let's find out how to prepare a variant of the classic Carnival dessert: savory chiacchiere, perfect as an aperitif.

Today we are preparing a tasty and ideal recipe for an aperitif: savory chiacchiere, a variant of the traditional Carnival dessert that is easy to prepare and will surely please everyone. Excellent if enjoyed accompanied by cheeses and cured meats, but also good plain, these particular fried chiacchiere are also perfect to serve as an appetizer during dinners with family or friends.

The procedure is almost the same: the dough obtained, similar in consistency to egg pasta , must be rolled out very thin and cut into the classic shape before proceeding with frying. With a neutral flavour, it lends itself well to different variations : with parmesan, oregano or rosemary. Let's see all the steps in detail.

Preparation

How to prepare the savory chiacchiere recipe

Pour the sifted flour with the baking powder (or bicarbonate of soda) into a bowl, make a well and break the egg in the centre.

Start kneading with a fork, gradually adding the white cooking wine , oil , salt and pepper . Work the dough carefully, transferring it onto the pastry board, until you have obtained a homogeneous dough. Wrap it in cling film and let it rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes .

Using a rolling pin or pasta machine, roll out the dough until it reaches a maximum thickness of 2 mm . Obtain the chatter by cutting it with a serrated wheel , without forgetting to make two cuts in the centre.

In a pan, heat plenty of seed oil to a temperature between 170°C and 180°C. Fry the chiacchiere a few at a time so as not to lower the temperature excessively, turning them with a slotted spoon and draining them as soon as they are golden and crunchy. Drain them and pass them on absorbent paper before serving.

The process is simple but here is a video of a recipe similar to ours with all the steps to make them.

Savory chiacchiere pair divinely with cured meats, cold cuts and cheeses , just like fried gnocco .

Variants

As mentioned in the introduction, and as you can see in the video, it is really simple to make the savory chiacchiere dough even tastier. The first variant that we recommend is obtained by simply adding 25 g of grated cheese (Grana Padano or Parmesan) to the dough which will give a unique flavor. If you love traditional combinations, try them with pecorino (25 g) and pepper (1 teaspoon freshly ground) to obtain them in the cacio e pepe version .

Alternatively you can opt for aromatic herbs , fresh or dried. Among those that are best paired with cured meats and cheeses are fresh rosemary chopped with a knife and dried oregano . In both cases a teaspoon is more than enough.

Conservation

The salty chatter will keep for 2-3 days in a paper bag. However, if you want to be sure of making a good impression on your guests, prepare them at the last moment (maximum 1-2 hours before).

Curiosity

In Emilia Romagna there are the savory chiacchiere di Bologna, a typical product whose origins date back to the Roman Empire. In fact, it seems that in those times, in the period before Lent, a tasty, simple and cheap fried dough known as frictilia was prepared.

In the areas of Bologna, Modena and Ferrara the custom was revived in the early 1900s by exploiting leftover bread dough, left to mature for another 20 hours and then fried. This variant was sold daily by all bakers until the 1960s. To date, few people still produce it.