Delicious Cheese Beignets a Recipe from Taste the World in Marseille
This recipe for delicious “Out of this world cheese beignets” or les Bouillidices comes from Taste the World in Marseille: Marseille Cuisine by the Marseillais. The author, Vérane Frédiani, is a Marseille native fascinated with the multicultural diversity and culinary innovation in this 2600-year-old city. It was published originally in French by Editions de La Martinière.
Delicious Cheese Beignets Recipe
A variation of the famous brocciu beignets that stick to your ribs even before your (Corsican) family lunch begins, boullidices are easier to digest and make. Of course, half of Corsica (at least) will not agree with me out of principle, but since I learned to make bouillidices with my father’s cousin in the village of Castagniccia, I have the right to have an opinion about them. Marguerite makes them without a measuring cup; that goes without saying. So, for the book, I did several tests and printed what was approved by the head taster, my dad. Since the release of this book in France, I have had to fry bouillidices in large quantities at each Taste the World in Marseille (Marseille Cuisine le Monde) event. ~ Vérane Frédiani
Cheese Beignets Les Bouillidices
Equipment
- 1 mixing bowl large
- 1 large spoon
- 1 Wok or deep frying pan
- 1 Stainless-steel spatula
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 2 Glasses of(250mL) Water
- 250 g Plain Flour Add an extra 50g if the mix is too runny.
- 1 large Egg
- 500 g Fresh Brocciu * See Notes
- Vegetable Oil
- Coarse Salt
Instructions
- Put the flour and glasses of water in a large bowl. Mix. If the batter is too runny, add a bit more flour.
- Mix in the egg and stir well.
- If you have time, let it rest for an hour or so, covered with a tea towel at room temperature.
- Coarsely crumble the brocciu between your fingers (the food critic Estérelle Payany almost collapsed when she saw me doing this amidst professional chefs), then mix into the batter gently, not insisting too much. There should be large crumbles of brocciu in the batter. Use a large spoon.
- Pour 0.5cm of oil into the bottom of a wok or deep-sided frying pan and heat over high. Once the oil is well heated, drop in small balls of batter. Immediately smash them with the back of a spoon, or even better, a stainless-steel spatula (some chef friends who helped me make 400 bouillidices a night decided that it wasn’t necessary to flatten the beignets that much. It’s another school of thought. I respect that).
- Flip the bouillidices as soon as possible and fry until the edges are lightly brown. Flip a few times in the pan and flatten them each time.
- Once they are fried, place your bouillidices on a paper towel, and if you like salt, salt the beignets. Eat them without delay; they are best hot.
- Optional: You can also serve them with Corsican or Portuguese honey or your local delicious one. Try also with some chilli, like from the Pimenteraie Plein Cagnard sprouting nearby Aubagne.
Notes
If you’re not Corsican, don’t ever tell a Corsican that you know how to make bouillidices. No hard feelings; it’s just how it is. ~ Vérane Frédiani
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About the Chef
Vérane Frédiani – author, filmmaker, journalist, food lover, and feminist – is a Marseille native fascinated with the multicultural diversity and culinary innovation in this 2600-year-old city. When you think of global food capitals and delicious street food, does Marseille spring to mind? If not, Taste the World in Marseille: Marseille Cuisine by the Marseillais will convince you to book a trip and stay long enough to explore the city’s neighbourhoods and discover the innovative chefs and cheffes using ingredients from around the world for their recipes.
Why Visit Marseille?
Because Marseille is unlike any other city in France or the world, and at 2600+ years old, there is no shortage of things to discover. On the shores of the Mediterranean, you get the best of the city and beach in one place. In Marseille, you feel simultaneously on both sides of the Mediterranean Sea thanks to the large North African population. The capital of Provence still has the Provençal clichés of pastis, pétanque, and colourful facades. At the same time, the city is invigorated by street art, food from across the globe, and an epic coastline.
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