Quick bites from São Bartolomeu da Serra

Apressadinhos from São Bartolomeu da Serra are small olive oil and lemon zest dough rings, fried and coated in sugar and cinnamon. They are shaped by hand, making a hole in the centre of each ball before placing it in the oil.

The Alentejo Gastronomic Guide records them in São Bartolomeu da Serra, in the municipality of Santiago do Cacém. Maria Manuela Pereira says they were made for visitors and also at Christmas, Carnival, Easter and local festivals, to help raise money for the residents’ association.

Estimated yield: about 30 to 35 small pieces.
Preparation and shaping: about 30 minutes.
Resting: 10 minutes.
Frying: about 30 to 40 minutes, in several batches.
Estimated total time: 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes, plus cooling time.

Ingredients

• 3 medium eggs
• 9 level tablespoons of sugar
• 9 tablespoons of EA Extra Virgin Olive Oil (135 ml)
• Zest of 1 lemon, yellow part only
• 1 pinch of salt
• 500 g plain wheat flour
• Vegetable oil for frying, enough to reach a depth of 4 cm in the saucepan without filling it more than one-third full
• 50 g sugar and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon for coating

Equipment: a large bowl, a tall, sturdy saucepan, a kitchen thermometer, a slotted spoon, a tray lined with paper towels and a cooling rack. Use a 15 ml tablespoon measure.

Preparation

1. Mix the ingredients.
   In a large bowl, mix the eggs, olive oil, 9 tablespoons of sugar, lemon zest and salt until evenly combined.
2. Knead and leave to rest.
   Gradually add the flour, first mixing it in with a spoon and then using your hands. Knead for about 3 to 5 minutes, until you can form a smooth, pliable ball of dough. Cover and leave to rest for 10 minutes.
3. Shape the rings.
   Divide the dough into portions of about 25 to 30 g. Roll them into balls, flatten them slightly and make a hole in the middle with your finger. Widen it to about 1.5 cm, forming rings approximately 1 cm thick. Place them on a tray and keep the dough that has not yet been shaped covered.
4. Heat the oil and test one ring.
   Heat the oil in the saucepan to about 170 °C, checking the temperature with a thermometer. Fry one ring first for approximately 4 to 6 minutes, turning it halfway through. Remove it, let it cool slightly and cut it open: the inside should be cooked through, with no wet, doughy batter. If it browns before the centre is cooked, lower the heat slightly and make the next rings a little thinner. Do not leave the saucepan unattended; if the oil starts smoking, turn off the heat and let it cool before continuing.
5. Fry in small batches.
   Add 4 to 6 rings at a time, depending on the size of the pan, leaving room to turn them. Fry for about 4 to 6 minutes, turning halfway through, until golden on both sides and cooked through. Let the oil return to temperature between batches and remove the rings with a slotted spoon onto paper towels.
6. Coat with sugar and cinnamon.
   Mix the 50 g of sugar with the teaspoon of cinnamon on a deep plate. Coat the apressadinhos in the mixture while they’re still warm, then leave them to cool on a wire rack before arranging them on a serving plate.

Frying tips

Shape rings of similar thickness so they cook at the same rate. Shake off any loose flour before putting them in the oil, and remove any bits of dough between batches so they don’t burn.

Pairing

Serve with a small glass of Cartuxa Licoroso Tinto 2013. The wine’s sweetness complements the sugar and cinnamon on the rings.

Storage

Let the apressadinhos cool completely before storing them in a tightly sealed container in a cool, dry place. Don’t cover them while they’re still warm: condensation softens the surface. They’re best on the day they’re fried.

Frequently asked questions

They turn golden on the outside but are raw in the center. What should I do?

Lower the oil temperature slightly and check the thickness of the rings. Fry one at a time until you get the timing right, then open it up once it has cooled slightly before frying the rest.

The hole closes during frying. How can I prevent this?

Make the hole wider when shaping the rings and avoid leaving the center too thick. If a ring loses its opening while waiting on the tray, open it up again before frying.

More fried Alentejo Christmas treats

Also try the Alter do Chão rolled filhoses, made in thin strips and finished with sugar syrup.

Source and adaptations

Alentejo Gastronomic Guide (2013), page 1060, entry 0955, “Apressadinhos”, São Bartolomeu da Serra, Santiago do Cacém. Interview with Maria Manuela Pereira by Inês Olaio Marques, ADL, in 2012.

The spoons in the source were interpreted as 15 ml tablespoons. The egg size, plain flour, amount of zest and coating, resting time, ring dimensions, and frying and storage instructions are home-cooking adaptations. Yield and times are estimates.

Illustrative image generated by artificial intelligence.