Enrique Olvera is such a fan of churros, you can find them on the menu at both of his Manhattan restaurants, Cosme and its more casual sister spot, Atla.
There’s also a recipe for them in the acclaimed Mexican chef’s latest cookbook. “Tu Casa Mi Casa,” out Wednesday, is a more accessible cookbook than his first, “Mexico from the Inside Out,” with 100 recipes for staples like guacamole, quesadillas, tostadas, corn esquites and chilaquiles.
The churros hit close to home for the chef.
“As a kid, going for churros at the churrería was a memorable and unique family experience,” he writes. “As I got older, I lost the tradition — until I had kids of my own. I realized again how great churros are when I started taking my kids out for them. … They are simple and familiar …”
Olvera suggests pairing them with fresh coffee, café de olla or Oaxacan hot chocolate.
Churros
Makes 4-6 servings
For the cinnamon sugar
• 1 Mexican cinnamon stick
• 1/2 cup sugar
For the batter
• Scant 1/2 cup water
• 1/3 cup whole milk
• 2 tbsp. heavy (whipping) cream
• 6 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 1/3 cups all-purpose (plain) flour, sifted
• 4 eggs
For frying
• Canola, peanut, or other high-heat oil, for deep-frying (about 2 qt.)
Make the cinnamon sugar: Crush the cinnamon stick and grind in a spice grinder with 4 tbsp. of the sugar until a fine powder is formed. Combine with the remaining 4 tbsp. sugar. It can be stored in an airtight container indefinitely.
Make the batter: In a medium pot, combine the water, milk, cream, butter, sugar and salt and bring to a boil, then remove from the heat. While still hot, whisk in the flour until smooth. Whisk in the eggs one at a time, whisking constantly until smooth. Transfer the dough to a piping bag, preferably fitted with a star tip (nozzle). Let the dough cool completely and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. This can be done ahead and left in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Fry the churros: Twenty minutes before serving, pour 2 inches oil into a deep pot (or deep-fryer) and heat to 350 degrees on a deep-fry thermometer. Remove the piping bag from the refrigerator and pipe the dough directly into the hot oil in a spiral shape. For smaller individual portions, pipe in 4-inch lengths to make sticks. Fry until the bottom is golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip and cook on the other side until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon or spider, transfer to paper towels to drain. While still hot, toss in the cinnamon sugar and serve.
Adapted from “Tu Casa Mi Casa: Mexican Recipes for the Home Cook” by Enrique Olvera with Luis Arellano, Gonzalo Goût, Daniela Soto-Innes, and with a foreword by Peter Meehan (Phaidon, $39.95, March 27, 2019)
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