Paparajotes :: Battered lemon leaves

As some of you might know (If you follow me on Twitter / Facebook) I regularly travel around Spain for business. I especially like going to Murcia because of their food. My favourite dish is "Huevas con almendras tostadas", which is a local variety of caviar with toast almonds.
But what I really love, and it was such a discovery for me, are Paparajotes (it has got such funny name, actually it reminds me a song Pa-pa-rara!)

So here I bring you the original recipe:

Ingredients

• 2 eggs 
  
• 1/2 L of milk
• 500 gr of flour
• Lemon zest
• 10 gr of baking powder
• Olive oil
• 1 pinch of salt
• 25 lemon leaves
• 200 gr Sugar
• 75 gr Cinnamon

Elaboration
Beat the eggs and add the milk. Mix it all together. 

Right away we will slowly add the flour while stirring and will put also the salt, the baking powder and the grated lemon all together until dough is homogeneous.
Let's prepare the lemon leaves. First of all (and the most important thing!) we have to clean and dry them very well, as it is the basis of the recipe and they leave a especial essence. 

Now, take one leave, soak it into the dough and introduce into the pan with the olive oil that you have previously heated medium-maximum temperature. 

Cook it for 30 seconds one side and 30 seconds another side. Be careful because if you cook it longer, it probably burn. Do the same for the rest 24 leaves (be patient here, I promise it is worthy ;)



Display the leaves on a paper towels that will absorbe the excess oil and even when hot, mix the sugar and the cinnamon on a bowl and dip each leave in it.

Now you are ready to taste a proper murcian dessert!

 

Font: Las delicias de Felicia (spanish)