Des Mervelles (Jersey Wonders) is a traditional Channel Islands recipe (from Jersey) for a snack made from an egg dough that's knotted and deep fried to cook. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Channel Islands version of: Jersey Wonders (Des Mervelles).
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The Jersey wonder is a type of plain fried doughnut that is never coated with sugar nor filled with jam. The Jersey Wonder stall is a familiar sight at fund-raising events around the Island.
Traditionally, Jersey housewives cooked their Wonders as the tide went out. If they cooked them on an incoming tide, it was believed that the fat in which the Wonders were cooked would invariably overflow the pan. The nearest English equivalent to the Jersey Wonder would be the doughnut, although Wonders are never coated in sugar, nor filled with jam.
Sift together the flour and sugar into a bowl, dice the butter, add to the flour and rub in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the whisked eggs to yield a light dough.
With floured hands form the dough into golfball sized pieces. Shape into balls, sit on a lightly-floured baking tray and cover with a damp cloth. Set aside to rest for two hours.
At this point roll each ball of dough into ropes about 5cm in diameter and 10cm long.
With a sharp knife slit the centre of each pipe and twist the top end (of the oblong) through the slit.
Heat oil or fat in a deep fryer, wok or deep pan to about 180°C. Once the fat is hot, drop in four to six Wonders at a time into a large pan of hot oil, cook for 2 minutes on each side until golden brown.
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