DISH #3 FRYBREAD FRUIT TACO

Like Italian-American zeppole or funnel cake, frybread probably isn't the healthiest thing in the world to eat but wow, with a little confectioner's sugar it sure is tasty. I wanted to include a berry dessert in my dessert menu and wanted to keep it somewhat simple while doing something a little different at the same time. Thus, the frybread fruit taco.

I used the Frybread recipe from The Old West Baking Book thoughtfully purchased for me in Deadwood, South Dakota, (yes, that Deadwood). When I noted the last line of the recipe, suggesting the fruit taco it confirmed for me that while perhaps this has been done before, I was certainly still onto something good.

Frybread, The Old West Baking Book, p. 158

Often thought of as a traditional Native American food, it's been made by the tribes of the Southwest only within the last hundred years. It contains few ingredients indigenous to the lands of the Old West. Most frybread ingredients came from the new settlers and were acquired by tribes through trading.

Development of this tasty bread most likely happened as a result of need by two cultures, which found that frying bread in a skillet could save time; the result travelled well and lasted longer than other breads.

There are as many recipes as cooks. You can vary this recipe by changing the size of the pieces-- or roll it out to ¾ inch thick, which takes longer to fry but gives the bread a chewier texture.

To impress onlookers, instead of patting out the dough, pull a piece twice the size of a golf ball, form into a tortilla-like circle, and shape by spinning and tossing it in the air like a pizza. Although this version is lower to shape, the family dog will love what lands on the floor.

Frying Time: 15 seconds per side
Frying Temperature: 375°F

3 Cups All-Purpose Flour
1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Granulated Sugar
1½ Cups Whole Milk
2 Tablespoons shortening, Melted

Blend all four dry ingredients. Add the milk and shortening, slowly stirring with a wooden spoon. It will appear very dry. Turn out on floured board or counter and knead dough until firm, but don't overdo it. Pat out the dough to about ¼ inch thick. Cut into circles any size that will fit the frying pan. Heat about 2 cups of oil in your skillet to 375°F (a 1 inch cube of bread will brown in 1 minute at 375°F). Carefully slide your dough into the pan. The frybread swhould puff up immediately. Turn once (very carefully) when golden brown. Remove and drain on paper towels.

Use frybread any way you can imagine. For example fill with fruit and fold over like a taco shell.

Variation: For a more authentic taste, delete the sugar.

I rolled the frybread out about twice as thin as the recipe recommended and it seemed to puff up more and more quickly which is what I was hoping--but this meant only about 15-20 seconds cooking time. The taco should still be soft when taken out of the oil and needs to be bent to the right shape quickly then filled with the fruit.

For one fruit taco I used:
4 Quartered Strawberries
15 Blueberries
10 Champaghne Grapes
3 Raspberries
3 Blackberries
1 Tablespoon Blueberry Honey
3-4 Pieces Candied Orange Rind
Confectioner's Sugar

Wash and cut the berries and place them in the taco, drizzle with honey and sprinkle with confectioner's sugar.

I did this shoot twice. The first time I did it without the honey dots in the foreground of the plate. The plate looked a bit empty so I reshot it with the honey dots as we've done often in the pastry kitchen at school and was more satisfied with the results.

How did it taste? Well, I enjoyed it and my resident taste-testers seemed pleased so I'm calling it a success.