These fritters are a real Roman Passover treat. Every family has their own recipe. My mum is well known for her spectacular pizzarelle and hosts an after-dinner party every year where the menu is pizzarelle and wine. This this is her recipe — she lets the mixture rest in the fridge for for a few hours before frying, which I recommend doing. If you don’t have time you can skip this step. They are also good eaten cold the following day – if you have any leftover. They won’t be crunchy, but the flavour is still addictive.

Method

• Soak the matzah for 30 minutes in a bowl filled with cold water. To stop them floating, put another bowl or saucepan filled with cold water on top.
• Beat the eggs with the sugar in a large shallow bowl. Add the raisins or sultanas, pine nuts, orange zest and a pinch of salt.
• Once the matzah is soaked and soft, drain the water and use your hands to squeeze out as much of the water as possible, then shred it into the bowl containing the egg mixture. My mother uses a vegetable mill for this but you can use your hands or a potato masher.
• Mix the ingredients thoroughly. Ideally let it rest in the fridge for a few hours, or go straight onto the next stage.
• Heat the oil to 170°C/335°F in a deep-fat fryer or deep heavy-based saucepan or deep, heavy-based frying pan. If you don’t have a thermometer, test the oil is hot enough by dropping in a cube of bread. It should float rather than sink and sizzle immediately on contact with the oil but not burn. If the oil is too hot the pizzarelle will burn outside but remain uncooked inside. If using a pan, slightly reduce the heat once the oil is piping hot.
• Fill a cup with water. Dip a dessert spoon into the water, then take a flat spoonful of the matzah mixture and slide it carefully into the oil. The water helps to detach the mixture from the spoon more easily. Repeat until you have a single layer of fritters — you will need to fry them in batches.
• Deep-fry the fritters for 3–4 minutes, turning them halfway through until golden. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and place in a sieve to drain the oil. Just before the next batch is ready, transfer them to a plate lined with kitchen paper to absorb any excess oil. Repeat with the remaining matzah mixture. The fritters should be deep golden and crunchy on the outside and pale, soft and sweet inside.
• Serve the fritters warm with honey for dipping. Warm the honey gently in a small saucepan over a low heat before serving to make it easier to dip into.

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