You might have heard of meatballs and jam, but for a vegetarian-friendly option, these delicate ricotta fritters make for the perfect sweet and savory appetizer!

Instructions:

1. In a fine mesh strainer set over a bowl, pull open the skins of the grapes to expose the flesh.
2. Holding the skins, press the flesh against the strainer to extract the juice, and allow it to drain into the bowl. Discard the skins and seeds. Use as is, or season the juice with a tiny pinch of sugar if needed. Refrigerate, covered, until ready to use, up to 1 day.
3. In a wide medium stockpot, Dutch oven, or deep fryer, heat the oil until it registers 365°F on a deep fry thermometer.
4. Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and kosher salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, granulated sugar, orange zest, vanilla seeds, and ricotta. Whisk the dry ingredients into the wet just until incorporated. (The batter can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator for several hours or up to 1 day.)
5. Working in batches of about 8, gently drop 1-tablespoon balls of the batter into the hot oil, and fry, turning them occasionally, until golden all over, about 3 minutes per batch. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fritters to paper towels to drain. (Allow the oil to come back to temperature between batches.)
6. Sprinkle the fritters with confectioners’ sugar, or coat them with granulated sugar. Serve warm with the grape jam.

Try your hand at this recipe, and let us know what you think! Share your photos on Facebook and Instagram using the hashtag #ALMbites.

This featured recipe has been adapted from the cookbook Sunday Suppers: Recipes and Gatherings by Karen Mordechai (© Clarkson Potter, 2014). For more delicious dishes, pick up your own copy of Sunday Suppers: Recipes + Gatherings on Amazon.com.