Country Apple Fritters

A light egg white batter makes these sweet tart fritters
come out of the fryer crispy light and golden.
The batter works equally well with pears and plums.

Ingredients:
3 large tart eating apples, such as Granny Smith
1 Tbs. plus 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
3 Tbs. sugar; more for dusting
Peanut oil for frying
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. table salt
2 large eggs, separated
1 tsp. unsalted butter, melted

Directions:
Peel and core the apples. Cut them into slices
about 1/3 inch thick and put them in a bowl.
Sprinkle with 1 Tbs. of the lemon juice and the sugar.
Toss well and let stand for 30 minutes.
Pour 3 inches of oil in a stockpot or Dutch oven,
attach a deep-fry thermometer, and set it over medium heat.
Heat the oven to the lowest setting.
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and salt.
Lightly beat the egg yolks with the remaining
1 tsp. lemon juice and 1/4 cup water.
Make a hollow in the center of the flour mixture
and pour the egg-yolk mixture into it.
Mix well. Add another 1/4 cup ­water and the butter,
beating hard and pressing the ­batter
against the bowl to break up any lumps.
Beat the egg whites until stiff
and fold them into the batter.
When the oil has reached 365 degrees F.
Drain the apple slices well and
then drop several into the batter.
Pick up the slices one at a time,
allow excess batter to drain off,
and drop them into the hot oil.
Cook until the batter is golden brown,
about 3 minutes.
Remove the fritters from the oil
with a wire mesh strainer
and let excess oil drip back into the pot.
Drain the fritters on a rack set over a baking sheet.
Put the rack and the baking sheet
in the oven to keep the fritters warm
while you fry the remaining apple slices.
When all the slices are fried, ­
sprinkle with sugar and serve immediately.