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Golden fried sciatt valtellinesi piled over dark red radicchio on a rustic plate, honey drizzled across the top surface.

Sciatt Valtellinesi: Fried Buckwheat Cheese Fritters

Small buckwheat batter fritters filled with melted alpine cheese, fried until crisp and served over bitter greens with honey.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Antipasto
Cuisine: Italian (Northern Italy)
Calories: 221
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Batter
  • 100 g buckwheat flour
  • 40 g all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 180 ml sparkling water cold
  • 1 tbsp grappa optional but traditional
Filling
  • 280 g Casera Valtellina cheese or Taleggio/Fontina, cut into 2.5 cm cubes
For Frying
  • sunflower or peanut oil about 1 liter; enough for 6 cm depth in the pot
To Serve
  • 200 g chicory or radicchio torn
  • 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tbsp honey chestnut honey if you can find it
  • pinch black pepper
  • pinch salt for finishing

Method
 

Batter and Filling
  1. Whisk buckwheat flour, all-purpose flour, and salt together in a mixing bowl. Slowly whisk in the sparkling water and grappa until the batter is smooth and coats the back of a spoon.
  2. Cover the bowl and let the batter rest at room temperature for 30 minutes so the buckwheat hydrates fully.
  3. While the batter rests, cut the cheese into roughly 2.5 cm cubes and pat them dry with paper towels so the batter sticks evenly.
Fry the Sciatt
  1. Pour the oil into a 24 cm / 9.5-inch deep pot or dutch oven to a depth of about 6 cm and heat to 170C / 340F, checking with a thermometer.
  2. Dip 5 to 6 cheese cubes into the batter at a time, letting the excess drip off, and lower them into the hot oil.
  3. Fry in batches of 5 to 6 so the oil doesn't cool down, turning once, for 2 to 3 minutes until the crust is deep gold and the cheese feels soft when pressed gently.
  4. Lift the sciatt out with a slotted spoon and drain them upright on paper towels. Season with a pinch of salt while they're still hot.
  5. Repeat with the remaining cheese and batter, letting the oil come back to 170C / 340F between batches.
Serve
  1. Toss the chicory or radicchio with the olive oil, a pinch of salt, and black pepper, then divide between plates.
  2. Arrange the warm sciatt over the greens and drizzle with honey. Serve right away while the crust is still crisp.

Notes

  • Rest batter 30 minutes so buckwheat hydrates and clings better to the cheese.
  • Keep oil at 170C/340F; check with a thermometer, don't guess by eye.
  • Fry in batches of 5 to 6 to keep oil temperature steady.
  • Serve within minutes of frying while the shell is still crisp.