LE PETTOLE

Pettole - pìttule in the dialect of Lecce or pèttuli in the dialect of Brindisi - are fried balls of leavened dough filled with anchovies, cauliflower, mussels or salt cod.
It is a dish mainly prepared in Puglia, Calabria and Lucania.
It is traditionally eaten on the eve of the Immaculate Conception (7 December), as a good omen for the feast of the Holy Christmas. Pettole are eaten hot, just taken out of the steaming oil, as a snack before lunch. Depending on the region, they may be salted, sweet, hollow or filled. The dough is made from flour, potatoes, water, salt and brewer's yeast.