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Golden Chisciöi di Tirano fritters stacked on a wooden board with melted cheese visible at the torn edges

Chisciöi di Tirano: Pan-Fried Buckwheat Cheese Fritters

Buckwheat batter fritters from Tirano, studded with cubed cheese and fried in butter until golden and crisp at the edges.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Italian (Northern Italy)
Calories: 346
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Batter
  • 150 g buckwheat flour
  • 50 g all-purpose flour
  • 300 ml water cold
  • 1 egg large
  • 1/2 tsp salt
Cheese and Frying
  • 250 g Casera cheese or Fontina, cut into 1 cm cubes
  • 80 g butter plus more as needed for frying

Method
 

Make the Batter
  1. Whisk the buckwheat flour, all-purpose flour and salt together in a mixing bowl.
  2. Add the water in a slow stream, whisking constantly, then whisk in the egg until the batter is smooth and pours like heavy cream.
  3. Cover and let the batter rest for 15 minutes so the buckwheat flour hydrates fully.
  4. Fold the cubed cheese into the batter right before frying.
Fry the Fritters
  1. Melt about 20 g of the butter in a 26 cm / 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat until it foams and smells nutty.
  2. Ladle about 60 ml of batter per fritter into the skillet, spacing them apart, and fry 3 to 4 at a time so the pan doesn't crowd.
  3. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until the underside is deep golden and lacy at the edges, then flip and cook another 3 minutes until the cheese has melted through.
  4. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and keep warm in a low oven while you fry the remaining batches, adding more butter to the pan between rounds.
  5. Serve hot, straight from the pan.

Notes

  • Rest batter 15 minutes before frying for full buckwheat hydration.
  • Cut cheese into 1 cm cubes for even melting pockets.
  • Fry in batches of 3 to 4 to keep butter temperature steady.
  • Serve immediately since texture softens fast once fritters cool.