Crab Fritters Alcapurrias Recipes

ALCAPURRIAS

Steps:

• For the meat: Place a skillet over medium heat and add the canola oil, onions and sofrito. Cook 1 minute, then add ground beef, tomato sauce, adobo, salt and olives. Mix well and let cook until brown, about 6 minutes. Set aside to cool.
• For the fritters: With a knife, cut the skin off the taro root and peel the bananas. Grate the taro root and bananas on the small holes of a box grater. Mix them with the annatto oil, adobo and salt in a bowl. Refrigerate for 1 hour, since the chilled dough is easier to assemble. (This is optional.)
• To assemble the fritters, use wax paper as your base. Cover the center with some annatto oil. Take a heaping 1/4 cup dough and set it in the center of the paper. Spread thinly, then add 3 tablespoons ground beef mixture to the center. Wrap both ends of the paper over each other to make a cylinder-shaped fritter. Push down on the dough to seal the meat inside the fritter. Make sure the dough is sealed completely on both ends and the center. If there are holes, seal them with extra dough, using your finger.
• Heat several inches of canola oil in a Dutch oven or deep-fryer to 350 degrees F.
• Slide the fritters into the hot oil for 5 to 6 minutes. Place them on a plate with a paper towel so the grease is absorbed. Serve immediately with hot sauce if desired.

CRAB FRITTERS WITH SPICY MAYO

Steps:

• To make the fritter batter, combine flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. In another smaller bowl, whisk together oil, milk, egg and black pepper. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and combine until all dry ingredients are moistened.
• Heat oil to 375 degrees F in a deep-fryer.
• Mix panko bread crumbs, Cajun Seasoning, mayonnaise, parsley and lemon juice. Fold in crab meat, trying to avoid breaking up lumps. Form crab mixture into "cocktail size" balls. Place the crab ball on a slotted spoon, and holding over the bowl of fritter batter, ladle enough of the batter over it to coat. Deep-fry in hot oil until golden brown and drain.
• Whisk together mayonnaise and Chipotle Chile Powder. Season, with salt, if needed. Serve crab fritters with spicy mayo as a dipping sauce.

ALCAPURRIAS(PUERTO RICAN STUFFED FRITTERS)

Steps:

• 1. Pino Filling: 1.heat the oil in a sauté pan over medium flame. Sauté the onions until they are translucent, 3-4 minutes 2.Add the garlic, paprika, cuminseed and oregano and sauté 1-2 minutes more 3.Add the ground beef, salt and pepper and sauté, breaking up the beef until it is cooked through, 5-7 minutes. 4.Stir in the water or stock, raisins and olives and bring to a simmer. Sprinkle flour over all and stir in well. Simmer for another 5-8 minutes, or until lightly thickened. Adjust seasoning, remove from heat and set aside to cool.
• 2. 1.Peel the yautía and grate it on a fine grater into a large bowl 2.Next peel the green bananas and grate them into the same bowl 3.Add the sazón and salt and mix together well 4.Place the masa, or batter, in a food processor and pulse until the batter is fairly smooth. 5.Cut a banana leaf or a piece of wax or parchment paper into a round slightly larger than your hand 6.Put about 1/2 cup of the batter onto the round and spread it out a bit 7.Place 2 to 3 tablespoons of the pino filling in the middle of the batter 7.Using the round, fold the batter up and around the filling, completely enclosing it 8.Form the batter into a smooth, oval round and set it aside. 9.Continue with the remaining batter and filling until it is used up. 3.Heat about 2 inches of oil in a large pan or deep fryer to about 370°F. Drop a few of the alcapurrias at a time into the oil and fry until well browned on one side. Flip and brown well on the second side. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate and repeat with the remaining alcapurrias. 4.Serve hot with a hefty dash of hot pepper sauce.
• 3. Please Note: •"Green bananas" does not mean bananas that are slightly underripe. It means green green. So green they are a little hard to peel. They can be found in this state at many Latin and Asian markets, but you might have a hard time finding them at most mainstream supermarkets. Ask the produce section people if they have any in the back. Otherwise, use unripe plantains instead. •Raw yautía can irritate some people's skin. You might want to wear rubber gloves when peeling and grating it.
• 4. Variations: •Filling Variations: Try using crabmeat, shrimp, lobster chopped chicken or chopped turkey simmer with a little sofrito. •Masa Variations: Besides yautía and green bananas, try using plantains, yuca (cassava) or potatoes in your masa. Some cooks add a little vinegar to the dough. It both flavors it and probably helps to keep it from browning too much. Chilling the masa first makes it easier to handle. •Alcapurrias freeze well. Place them on a baking sheet and put in the freezer until they are frozen. Then transfer them to an airtight bag and return to the freezer. Drop frozen alcapurrias directly into the hot oil to cook.

ALCAPURRIAS DE JUEYES (CRAB-STUFFED FRITTERS)

Steps:

• Prepare the annatto oil: In a small saucepan, heat oil and annatto seeds over medium-high. Once the mixture comes to a rolling simmer, remove saucepan from stove, stir to combine, then let rest for 5 minutes. Transfer oil to a heat-safe container, straining out seeds through a fine-mesh sieve, and set aside. (Makes 3/4 cup.) You'll use this oil in three separate steps to come.
• Prepare the masa: Fill a large bowl with cold water and a fistful of salt. Peel and chop yautia and green bananas into 1-inch pieces, then soak in the salted water until ready to process.
• Cut at least 32 squares of wax paper about 4 to 5 inches each. (Traditionally, banana leaves are used, but, since they can be difficult to source, wax paper is an appropriate substitute.)
• Drain yautia and bananas well, then use a clean cloth to dab any excess water. Working in two batches, add half the drained yautia and bananas to the food processor with 1 tablespoon salt, and pulse until fully incorporated. Repeat with the remaining yautia, bananas and 1 tablespoon salt, processing to the texture of chunky hummus.
• Return the first batch of blended yautia and bananas to the food processor, turn it on and gradually pour in 1/2 cup annatto oil, blending the mixture until smooth and dark yellow in color. Taste for salt, then transfer to a large bowl and refrigerate for an hour or more so it can set. (This will make about 9 to 10 cups of masa.)
• Prepare the filling: In a medium saucepan, bring 3 tablespoons annatto oil to a simmer over medium heat. Add sofrito, capers, sazón and 1 teaspoon salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, until most of the liquid has evaporated. Lower heat to medium-low and add crab meat, stirring well to incorporate. Cook for another 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until flavors blend and crab has soaked up the seasoning. Adjust salt as needed.
• Create an assembly line on a long dining table or counter, preferably atop a cloth or towels you don't mind getting stained. From left to right, arrange the remaining annatto oil, wax paper squares, masa, crab filling and a large plate or baking sheet. Have a finger bowl with water and a clean towel available in case your hands get messy.
• Using a small teaspoon, smear about 1/8 teaspoon of annatto oil in a wide oval shape nearly to the edge of the paper. Add about 2 tablespoons of masa, then spread in a wide oval over the annatto oil, leaving at least a 1/2-inch border of paper uncovered. Add about 2 to 3 teaspoons crab to the center of the masa, taking care not to overfill. Fold the paper in half, creating a half-moon shape, and seal the edge by pressing the masa lightly with your fingers, careful not to let the filling spill out. Stack carefully on a plate or baking sheet, and return to the fridge until ready to fry. (These fry up best when they've had time to rest in the refrigerator. If you'd like to prepare these ahead of time, you can refrigerate them for several hours, or store in the freezer for several months. They can be fried directly from the freezer.)
• In a deep, heavy-bottomed pan or deep fryer, bring about 2 inches of vegetable oil (at least 4 cups) to a simmer over medium-high heat until it reaches 350 degrees on a candy thermometer. Working in batches, carefully transfer each alcapurria to the simmering oil, sliding it off the paper onto your hand, then carefully dropping in the oil. Gently nudge the alcapurrias with heat-safe tongs to prevent them from sticking. (The filling may burst through the edges, causing oil to splatter, so keep a splatter guard handy, if you have one.) Turn each fritter a few times until evenly dark golden brown, about 5 to 7 minutes.
• Remove from oil and drain on a baking sheet lined with paper towels and cook remaining alcapurrias. Let rest for at least 5 minutes before eating, as they are quite hot. Sprinkle each bite with your hot sauce of choice.

ALCAPURRIAS DE JUEYES

Steps:

• For the masa: Peel and cut the taro roots and bananas into small chunks. Grate the taro and bananas in a food processor fitted with the shredding blade (see Cook's Note). Transfer to a medium bowl. Change the blade on the food processor to the cutting blade. Add the shredded vegetables, lard, adobo and sazón and puree until it forms a dough. Transfer to the same medium bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
• For the fritters: To prepare the crab filling, heat the lard in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the crabmeat, reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, for 5 minutes. Stir in the sofrito, season with salt and pepper to taste and cook until opaque, about 5 minutes. Let cool to room temperature.
• To form the alcapurrias, spray a sheet of aluminum foil or wax paper with olive oil cooking spray, put about 1/4 cup of the dough on the foil and form into a patty. Place 1 tablespoon of the crab filling in the center of the dough, fold up one side of the foil over the dough and roll it while gently pressing down to form a log 4 to 5 inches long. Fold in the sides of the foil or wax paper. If the dough feels soft, refrigerate for a few minutes until firm before frying. Repeat with the remaining masa and crab filling.
• Pour about 2 inches oil in a large saute pan or deep large skillet and heat over high heat until very hot. Peel away the foil or wax paper from 3 alcapurrias and gently slide or roll into the hot oil and cook until deep golden brown all over and firm to the touch, 5 to 7 minutes. Repeat with the remaining alcapurrias.
• Drain on paper towels and allow to cool slightly before serving. Serve with hot sauce.

KELLOGG'SANDREG; RICE KRISPIESANDREG; CRAB FRITTERS WITH SPICY AIOLI

Steps:

• For the aioli: Mix together the mayonnaise, hot sauce and lime juice. Season with salt and pepper.
• For the fritters: Heat a pot of oil to 350 degrees F. Combine the crab, garlic, chives, parsley, bell pepper, mustard, mayonnaise, egg and half the cereal. Season with salt and pepper. Form into walnut-size balls. Crush the remaining cereal in a bag with a rolling pin and roll the balls in the crumbs. Carefully drop the balls into the hot oil and fry until golden, 2 to 4 minutes. Serve with the spicy aioli for dipping.

CRAB FRITTERS: ALCAPURRIAS

Steps:

• To make masa, grate bananas and taro root with a hand grater and place in a large bowl. Add flour and mix well. Add water a little at a time. Season with salt and set aside.
• To make the stuffing, saute onion and pepper in oil for approximately 1 minute. Add tomatoes and cook until all liquid has evaporated. Add white wine and cook until liquid has evaporated. Add cilantro and chipotle. Season and cool. Add crabmeat.
• To make dumplings, grease a small plate and spread 2 tablespoons of the masa over it. Place 1 tablespoon of the stuffing on top of the spread masa, and cover with 2 more tablespoons of the masa mixture. Roll into a cylinder shape, and slide off plate into a skillet with 1 1/2 inches of hot oil. Fry until golden brown and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

CRAB FRITTERS WITH CHEAT'S CHILLI & CRAB MAYONNAISE

Steps:

• Put the butter in a large saucepan with 225ml water, heating slowly so that the butter melts but the water doesn't evaporate. Remove from the heat and quickly add the flour. Mix until fully incorporated and comes away from the pan, then leave to cool to room temperature. Use a wooden spoon to beat in the eggs, one at a time, until smooth, glossy and the mix drips off the spoon after 3 secs. Beat in the cheese until combined, before folding in the chives, crab and some seasoning.
• Meanwhile, mix the mayonnaise ingredients together, season and set aside. Can be made a day ahead.
• Heat the oil in a deep-fat fryer or large heavy-based saucepan (no more than half full) to 160C or until a piece of bread browns in 40 secs. Using a dessertspoon, scoop spoonfuls of the batter and carefully drop them straight into the hot oil (you will need to cook them in batches so that you don't overcrowd the pan). Fry each batch for 3-4 mins until golden brown, then drain on kitchen paper. Season with sea salt flakes and cayenne pepper. Serve hot with the mayonnaise.

CRAB FRITTERS

Steps:

• In the container of a food processor, combine the mayonnaise, mustard, horseradish, garlic, and lemon juice. Process until well blended. Transfer to a bowl, stir in chives, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
• Heat the oil in a heavy saucepan or deep fryer to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Stir together the hush puppy mix, milk and egg until smooth. Fold in the crab. Drop tablespoonfuls of the batter into the hot oil. Fry until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes, turning once if needed. Drain on paper towels. Serve fritters with the garlic sauce.