Dough-nut? No, Malassada - a treat from the Azores

[Atlantic Islander]

A malassada - from the Portuguese "mal-assada" or under-cooked - is one thing Azoreans look for when they go home. Call it fried dough, or a Portuguese doughnut - they are hot and tasty. You can buy them at a fair, and on street corners - fried and coated with granulated sugar. The traditional malasadas are simple - have no fillings, and are often enjoyed this time of year - up to Ash Wednesday.

In the 1870s, Portuguese came from the Azores came to Hawaii - bringing the malassada. Much like Azorean sweetbread - it became a big hit - and part of the local cuisine.

The same happened in Rhode Island and South-Eastern Massachusetts, as well as in the Bay Area of California.


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Tim Fonseca, Executive Pastry Chef of the Four Season’s Hotel in Boston, offered this recipe from his grandmother Lucy on http://thepastrychannel.com/malasada/ :

Lucy’s Recipe for a Malassada.

1 1/4 c. warm milk.
1 T. sugar.
2 1/2 t. salt.
1/4 lb. margarine or butter.
1 package dry yeast.
6 large eggs, slightly beaten.
6 c. flour.
3 1/4 c. olive-oil.
3 c. corn-oil.
Granulated sugar.

To start this recipe for Malassadas, scald 1 cup of milk in a medium-sized saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in the sugar, salt and butter and remove from the heat. In a small saucepan over medium heat, warm the remaining 1/4 cup of milk. Remove from the heat and sprinkle on the yeast. Let stand for 5 minutes then stir until the yeast is dissolved.

In a large bowl, combine the two milk mixtures with the beaten eggs.

Gradually add the flour, beating with a wooden spoon until stiff. Move the dough to a floured board and knead until smooth and elastic. Form dough into a ball and place in bowl coated with 1/4 cup of olive oil. Turn the dough so that it is lightly coated with the olive oil. Cover the bowl with a towel and let it rise in a warm place until it is double in size, approximately 2 hours.

Meanwhile, in a deep pot, heat the remaining 3 cups of olive oil and the corn oil to 350 degrees. Break off golf ball sized pieces of the dough, stretch to an oval/round shape and fry, in batches, in the hot oil until golden brown, turning once. Drain the Fried Dough on paper towels and sprinkle with granulated sugar before serving.

This recipe makes 3 dozen “malassadas”.

source (http://www.azores-adventures.com/2014/02/dough-nut-no-malassada-a-treat-from-the-azores.html)

[Atlantic Islander]

A malasada (or malassada, from Portuguese "mal-assada" = "under-cooked") (similar to filhós) is a Portuguese confection, made of egg-sized balls of yeast dough that are deep-fried in oil and coated with granulated sugar. They were first made by inhabitants of the Madeira islands. A popular variation is where they are hand dropped into the oil and people have to guess what they look like. Traditional malasadas contain neither holes nor fillings, but some varieties of malasadas are filled with flavored cream or other fillings. Malasadas are eaten especially on Mardi Gras - the day before Ash Wednesday.

In Madeira Malasadas are eaten mainly on Terça-feira Gorda (“Fat Tuesday” in English; Mardi Gras in French) which is also the last day of the Carnival of Madeira. The reason for making malasadas was to use up all the lard and sugar in the house, in preparation for Lent (much in the same way the tradition of Pancake Day in the United Kingdom originated on Shrove Tuesday), Malasadas are sold alongside the Carnival of Madeira today. This tradition was taken to Hawaii, where Shrove Tuesday is known as Malasada Day, which dates back to the days of the sugar plantations of the 19th century, the resident Catholic Portuguese (mostly from Madeira and the Azores) workers used up butter and sugar prior to Lent by making large batches of malasadas.

United States

In 1878, Portuguese laborers from Madeira and the Azores came to Hawaii to work in the plantations. These immigrants brought their traditional foods with them, including a fried dough pastry called the "malasada." Today there are numerous bakeries in the Hawaiian islands specializing in malasadas.

On the East Coast, in Rhode Island and South-Eastern Massachusetts, there is also a high population of Portuguese-Americans, especially from Madeira and Azores. Festivals in towns such as New Bedford and Fall River will often serve Portuguese cuisine, including Malasadas. One locally famous example is the Lakeside Family Festival.

Mardi Gras ("Fat Tuesday"), the day before Lent, is Malasada day in Hawaii. Being predominantly Catholic, Portuguese immigrants would need to use up all their butter and sugar prior to Lent. They did so by making large batches of malasadas, which they would subsequently share with friends from all the other ethnic groups in the plantation camps. This led to the popularity of the malasada in Hawaii.

In the United States, malasadas are cooked in many Portuguese or Portuguese descendant homes on Fat Tuesday. It is a tradition where the older children take the warm doughnuts and roll them in the sugar while the eldest woman — mother or grandmother — cooks them. Many people prefer to eat them hot. They can be reheated in the microwave, but then they will have absorbed the sugar, providing a slightly different flavor and texture. (However, it can also be frozen without the sugar.)

source (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malasada)