Leche Frita From Isabel Coss

Directions

1. Place ⅔ of the milk in a saucepan together with the vanilla bean, orange peel, lemon peel, and cinnamon. Heat over medium-low heat until steaming but not bubbling, then shut the heat off. Let the mixture steep for 5 minutes; strain it afterwards and reserve.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, egg yolks, and corn starch, beating until pale. Add the rest of the milk and whisk until well-combined.
3. In the same medium saucepan you used to heat the milk, combine cornstarch mixture with the warm infused milk and bring to a low boil over medium heat. Lower the heat slightly and whisk constantly until the mixture thickens, 5 to 6 minutes.
4. Pour mixture over a half-sheet pan lined with parchment paper (make sure there’s a good amount of overhang so you can remove the mixture easily), spread into a thin layer to the edges of the pan, and cover with plastic wrap. Cool down in the refrigerator for a minimum of 2 hours or overnight; you can place it in the freezer for the final hour or so to make sure the mixture sets up fully.
5. When cold and set, remove the milk pudding and cut it into 3x2-inch (or thereabouts) rectangles.
6. In a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, heat enough neutral oil to come 3 inches up the sides to 350F.
7. Set up your dredging station. In a wide, shallow bowl, mix together corn starch and flour. Place the beaten eggs in another similar bowl and set aside.
8. Prepare the cinnamon sugar coating. In a wide, shallow bowl, mix together sugar and cinnamon and reserve.
9. Dredge the milk: Working just a few at a time, gently coat all sides of the milk rectangles into flour and corn starch mixture, followed by the eggs, then back into the corn starch mixture again. Gently tap off any excess dredging and carefully slide the rectangles into the hot oil.
10. Fry until the milk squares are golden-brown, 3 to 4 minutes; remove from the oil using a slotted spoon and immediately toss in the cinnamon-sugar mixture, evenly coating all the sides. Repeat with the remaining pieces. Let cool a few minutes before eating, and serve still warm.