Carnia mountain area, Friuli-Venezia Giulia. The strucchi are documented as a Christmas pastry from at least the 17th century in the Carnia valley records. The honey-walnut-fig filling reflects the mountain economy of the Carnia — preserved fats (lard), honey from mountain hives, dried fruits, and orchard nuts.
Strucchi (also called strucolo in some areas) are the traditional fried sweet pastry of Friuli's Carnia mountain area: a thin pastry dough rolled around a filling of walnuts, raisins, dried figs, honey, and spices (cinnamon, cloves), then sealed and fried in lard until golden. They are a variant of the strudel tradition that dominates the Trentino and Alto Adige, but the Friulian version is fried rather than baked, and the filling is denser and more Mediterranean in flavour from the honey and dried figs. They are a winter pastry, made for Christmas and Carnival, and their flavour — honey, walnut, cinnamon, fried dough — is the flavour of the Carnia mountain winter.
Hot from the oil, strucchi are crisp and yielding — the fried pastry shatters slightly at the first bite, releasing the dense, sweet-spiced walnut and fig filling perfumed with cinnamon. The honey binds everything. Under the icing sugar, they are small and complete — each one containing the flavour of a mountain Christmas.
The pastry: 00 flour, egg, lard, white wine, and salt — a thin, workable short pastry. Roll to 2mm. The filling: coarsely chopped walnuts, raisins, dried figs (chopped), honey, cinnamon, and ground cloves — mixed to a dense paste. Spread the filling in a line along one edge of the pastry, leaving a border. Roll tightly, sealing the ends firmly. Cut into 6-8cm lengths. Fry in lard at 170°C until golden, 3-4 minutes per side. Drain, dust with icing sugar. Serve at room temperature.
The strucchi can be made in advance and kept for 3-4 days — they are often made in large quantities for Christmas. The filling quality determines the quality of the strucco: use fresh walnuts (not old, rancid walnuts), plump raisins, and good honey. Slightly warming the strucchi before serving restores the crispness of the fried pastry.
Rolling too loosely — the filling falls out during frying. Dough too thick — thin pastry creates the characteristic crisp, layered exterior. Filling too wet — excess moisture from the raisins creates steam that causes the pastry to burst. Frying at too high temperature — the outside browns before the pastry is cooked through.
Slow Food Editore, Friuli-Venezia Giulia in Cucina; Carol Field, The Italian Baker