A question from Ann:
I came across an Italian pastrywhose name meant "lobster tail".It looked more like a clam shellwith its grooves winding around andaround from a apex, spreadingoutward. The texture was crisp,fried not baked. The fillingwas ricotta flavored with orangepeel and citron chunks. Slightlysweetened. Do you know anything about it?
I just recently heard about this pastry. It sounds delicious.
Photo and description from Mike's Pastry.
The history of this extraordinary and popular item dates back to a 16th century convent on the Amalfi Coast near Naples. This original ancestor of the lobstertail was called La Santarosa (named after the convent, now a popular motel, where the owner of Fiat Italy is said to frequent), and its filling was a creamy white, which oozed out of the sides, and was typically served up hot. In Naples coffee shops, this is still something to die for.
La Santarosa gave birth in the 19th century (il "Novecento") to what was then and is now known as La Sfogliatella. The English term for this is Lobstertail, though that is not a literal translation. The structure of it obviously resembles the architecture of a lobster's tail, as its shell is made of layered and crusty baked pastry, interlocking in the way that the parts of a lobster's tail does. How wonderful!
A recipe for this pastry can be found at Uncle Phaedrus's Lost Recipe Finder.