Recipe for Savory Donuts with Cheese and Herbs

New Orleans-style donuts are one of the city’s signature dishes, and this dessert has a long history in the Crescent City. Before the recipe was introduced to the New World around 18^thHowever, 17th-century Creole settlers had been making sweet and savory donuts for several centuries. Before developer Jessica Morone created this recipe for savory cheese and herb donuts, she only ate donuts for dessert, but as she tells us, “I just thought if you could make them sweet, you can definitely try making some savory ones.”

Morone previously shared a New Orleans donut recipe with Tasting Table, and this savory donut recipe starts out pretty much the same, only the dough requires a smaller amount of sweetener. It is also flavored with herbs and cheese, which makes the pastries so tasty that you can eat them on their own as a snack or appetizer. They also pair great with a sauce – Morone likes to pair his fritters with a garlic aioli dip, while you can also opt for a marinara, ranch dressing, honey mustard, toasted salsa with fire or a classic pine basil. walnut pesto.

Read more: 30 Healthy Snack Ideas That Won’t Ruin Your Diet

Collect the ingredients for the Savory Fritters with Cheese and Herbs

Donut dough is made with instant yeast, sugar, salt, flour, milk, egg and butter and flavored with parsley, chives, garlic powder, onion powder and gruyere. You’ll also need a few cups of neutral-flavored, high-smoke point oil for frying.

Step 1: Mix dry ingredients with seasonings and cheese

Add the yeast, sugar, salt, flour, parsley, chives, garlic powder, onion powder, and Gruyere cheese to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook.

Step 2: mix the ingredients

Stir until combined.

Step 3: Add the Liquids

Add the warm water, milk, egg and butter to the bowl and mix on medium speed until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.

Step 4: Cover the Dough

Place the dough in a large, clean, lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap.

Step 5: Let the Dough Rise

Let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 90 minutes.

Step 6: roll out the dough

Once the dough has doubled, place it on a flour-dusted surface and roll it out into a square about ½ inch thick.

Step 7: Cut the Donuts

Cut the dough into 1 ½ inch to 2 inch squares.

Step 8: Put the donuts in a pan

Place the cut-out donuts on a greased or parchment-lined baking sheet while the oil heats.

Step 9: Pour in the oil

Add the oil to a large skillet, Dutch oven or deep fryer until it is 2 to 3 inches deep.

Step 10: Heat the Oil

Heat the oil to 360 F.

Step 11: Fry the First Batch

Add 4 to 5 donuts at a time to the fryer and cook 1 ½ to 2 minutes.

Step 12: Flip the Donuts

Flip the donuts and cook for another 1 ½ to 2 minutes until golden brown, placing the fried donuts on a baking sheet lined with paper towels.

Step 13: Fry the Remaining Donuts

Cook in batches until all the donuts are fried.

Step 14: Eat the donuts while they are hot

Serve hot, with aioli or a dip of your choice if desired.

Recipe for Savory Donuts with Cheese and Herbs

Should I fry the donuts?

Donuts are traditionally fried, but not everyone has access to a deep fryer or wants to hassle with all that oil in a pot or pan. If you want to avoid oil completely (or at least mostly), you can cook the donuts in the oven or deep fryer.

If you are using your oven to bake the donuts, let them rise for another 45 minutes after cutting them into squares. This way the yeast can help them rise instead of the hot oil. Preheat the oven to 350 F, brush the donuts with a beaten egg, then bake them for 12 to 15 minutes until they are golden brown. If you prefer to cook them by convection in an air fryer, you’ll need to work in batches, as you may only be able to fit four at a time in the basket. Brush the donuts with melted butter, cook them for 6 minutes at 375 F, then remove them from the fryer and repeat the process four more times until all the donuts are cooked. These donuts may have a more bread-like consistency than their fried counterparts, but they will still be deliciously cheesy (and herby).

What other flavors can I incorporate into these savory donuts?

If you’re intrigued by the idea of ​​savory donuts but gruyere, chives, and parsley don’t float your boat, you can use this recipe as a template and create your own flavor combinations instead. Try pairing gouda with thyme, dill with havarti, mozzarella with basil, feta with oregano, or cheddar with sage.

You can also add some extra protein to the dough in the form of diced ham (this would pair well with Swiss cheese), cooked and crumbled bacon (this would be tasty with sharp cheddar), or cooked chorizo ​​( it would go very well with pepper). jack). Seafood can also be delicious in savory fritters. Some New Orleans restaurants are known for offering crawfish fritters, but if you don’t live in crawfish country, you can always substitute crab meat, shrimp, or smoked salmon. Vegetables like corn, diced peppers, jalapeños, or mushrooms could also make great additions to your donut batter.

Read the original article on the tasting table.