Standard Frying Batter
4 ozs plain flour
a quarter of a pint oil or rather more of warm water
3 tablespoons olive oil
a pinch of salt
1 lightly beaten egg white

"Sieve the flour into a basin, make a well in the centre and into this pour the oil; mix well, and add the salt, then slowly add the water, stirring constantly until the consistency of thick cream is obtained.



Allow to stand for 2 hours or thereabouts, then stir in the lightly beaten egg white, and use a coating for fish or for fruits."

This recipe was taken from "Italian Cooking" by Dorothy Daly. It was published by Spring Books in Great Britain. For the complete copyright-free cookbook see www.archive.org.... P.S. I did this recipe and found it odd that the batter could be used for fish or fruit. Prior to 1960 sugar was rather expensive, so it is not all that surprising that sugar was not included as an ingredient for the frying of fruit. Nowadays, most individuals expect a fruit batter to be on the sweet side, so this particular recipe might not be the right one to use..... Photo and notes: Mary Melfi.

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