Calabrian Nacatole: fried sweets of the tradition

Today we prepare nacatole (or nocatole), Calabrian sweets typical of the Christmas period. These sweets have very ancient origins, and according to the customs of the production area they are enjoyed accompanied by local wines; at breakfast, instead, the nacatole are excellent if combined with warm milk.

Calabrian Nacatole: ingredients for 4 people

  • 1 kg of flour
  • 130 g of sugar
  • 25 g of beer yeast
  • 4 eggs
  • 5 cl of milk
  • 1 glass of red wine
  • Lemon zest
  • Olive oil
  • 1 pinch of salt
  • Seeds oil

Calabrian Nacatole: the traditional recipe

Take a large bowl, pour 300 g of flour into it and in the meantime, in another bowl, dissolve the yeast in warm water. Once five minutes have passed, mix the flour with water and yeast and let the dough rest separately for about half an hour.

Take the remaining flour and place it on your worktop, creating the classic fountain shape. At this point incorporate the sugar, eggs, wine and a pinch of salt, finally the lemon rind, continuing to knead with your hands until you get a compact consistency. Integrate the two pieces of dough and add the milk to soften.

When you have finished kneading, make strands of dough and join the two ends to create small sweet doughnuts. Fry the nacatole in boiling oil for a few minutes until golden brown. Dry them with kitchen paper and cover them with caster sugar. Enjoy your meal!