Potato doughnuts were the holiday treat in Quebec farmhouses: leftover mashed potato makes the dough tender and keeps the doughnuts soft for days. Frying in pure lard is the traditional way, and it gives a crisp, golden outside without a heavy, oily taste.
Ingredients (about 24 doughnuts)
- 250 ml (1 cup) plain mashed potatoes, cooled (no butter or milk added)
- 250 ml (1 cup) sugar
- 2 eggs
- 30 ml (2 tbsp) melted pure lard
- 125 ml (1/2 cup) milk
- 5 ml (1 tsp) vanilla
- 875 ml (3 1/2 cups) all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
- 15 ml (1 tbsp) baking powder
- 2 ml (1/2 tsp) baking soda
- 2 ml (1/2 tsp) salt
- 2 ml (1/2 tsp) ground nutmeg
- About 1.5 kg (3 lb) pure lard for frying
- Sugar or icing sugar for coating
Method
- Beat the mashed potatoes, sugar and eggs until smooth. Beat in the melted lard, milk and vanilla.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg in another bowl, then stir it into the potato mixture to make a soft dough. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour.
- On a floured counter, roll the dough 1 cm (1/2 inch) thick and cut with a doughnut cutter. Reroll the scraps once.
- Heat the lard to 180 °C (350 °F) in a heavy pot, at least 8 cm (3 inches) deep. Fry 3 or 4 doughnuts at a time, 1 to 2 minutes per side, until deep golden.
- Drain on a rack, and roll in sugar while still warm.
Notes
- Use a thermometer: below 175 °C the doughnuts absorb fat, above 190 °C they brown before the centre cooks.
- Strain the cooled lard through a fine sieve and keep it in the fridge to fry again.
- Keep the doughnuts in a tin for 3 days, or freeze them.
More fried and baked classics: sugar pie, all-lard pie pastry, and the cooking fats guide.
From Rise Nutrition
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