Beignets with bay leaf sugar

Method

1. To make the bay leaf sugar, pull out and discard the hard central stalks then chop the leaves finely. Put into a mortar with a tablespoon of the sugar and pound as finely as you can to a green, slightly damp, paste. Tip into a larger bowl and mix with the rest of the sugar until evenly distributed. It’s easiest to do this with a hand-held blender. Store in a jar until needed.
2. To make the beignets, combine the butter, sugar and water in a medium saucepan and slowly bring to the boil so that the butter melts completely. As the liquid boils up, quickly add the flour in one go and mix vigorously with a wooden spoon to incorporate it into the liquid. Beat over a lower heat for 3–4 minutes until the mixture is glossy and comes away from the sides of the pan in a smooth ball.
3. Tip the hot choux paste into the bowl of a stand-mixer. Beat for a minute on medium speed, then increase it to the maximum. Add the eggs, one at a time, then continue beating on maximum for 5 minutes, until the choux has cooled.
4. Spoon into a piping bag fitted with a 1.5 cm nozzle and keep in the fridge for at least an hour, or up to 3 hours, until needed.
5. When ready to cook, pour vegetable oil into a deep-fryer or saucepan to a depth of around 8 cm and heat to 170°C. Prepare a tray lined with kitchen paper and a dish of the bay leaf sugar.
6. Hold the piping bag over the oil and squeeze out the choux, slowly and steadily. Snip with scissors at 5 cm lengths, easing them into the oil gently. Fry in batches for 5 minutes, or until they transform into lovely golden brown puffs. Turn them around in the oil to ensure they colour evenly all over. Drain the beignets on kitchen paper for a few seconds then lift them into the dish of bay leaf sugar and coat them evenly.
7. Serve while warm with a dish of fruit curd for dipping. Or, make a split in each beignet and spoon in a little curd.