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Alcapurrias de Jueyes (Crab-Stuffed Fritters)

Alcapurrias de Jueyes (Crab-Stuffed Fritters) is a traditional Puerto Rican recipe for a classic fried taro and green banana fritter with a crab meat filling. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Puerto Rican version of: Crab-Stuffed Fritters (Alcapurrias de Jueyes).

prep time

20 minutes

cook time

30 minutes

Total Time:

50 minutes

Makes:

32

Rating:

Tags : Herb RecipesPuerto-rico Recipes

Puerto Rico is famous for its fritters, and alcapurrias are among the most coveted. Imagine a tamale made of green banana and root vegetable masa that is stuffed with savory meat or seafood, and then deep fried. You typically get them from the kioskos, roadside stands along Puerto Rico’s beaches and highways, particularly in Loíza, a town on the northeastern coast that is the island’s African heart. At home, they’re often made over the holidays, as many hands make light work. The flavour is unmistakable: earthy green banana and taro cut by savory sofrito, briny capers and delicate crab meat. The filling, often called a salmorejo, is usually made from local land crabs, but commercially available lump crab is a fitting substitute.

Ingredients:

For the Masa:
sea salt
1kg taro corms (yautia)
2 green bananas
250ml achiote (annatto) oil

For the Filling:
3 tbsp annatto oil
125ml sofrito
2 tbsp capers, chopped
1 tsp sazón
1 tsp sea salt, plus more to taste
500g lump crab meat

For Assembling and Frying:
1 tbsp annatto oil
Vegetable oil, as needed (about 1l)
Hot sauce, for serving

Method:

Prepare the masa: Fill a large bowl with cold water and a fistful of salt. Peel the taro corms and green bananas then chop into 3cm pieces. Place in a bowl of salted water to prevent oxidation until ready to process (make sure the taro and banana pieces are submerged).

Cut at least 32 squares of wax paper about 10 to 12cm each. (Traditionally, banana leaves are used, but, since they can be difficult to source, wax paper is a reasonable substitute.)

When ready to cook, drain the taro and bananas pieces thoroughly, then use a clean cloth or kitchen paper to mop up any excess water. Working in two batches, add half the drained taro and bananas to the food processor with 2 tsp salt, and pulse until the vegetables are chopped and resemble chunky hummus. Repeat with the remaining taro and bananas with a further 2 tsp salt, processing once again to the texture of chunky hummus.

Return the first batch of blended yautia and bananas to the food processor, turn the machine on and gradually pour in 125ml annatto oil, blending the mixture until smooth and dark yellow in colour. 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-sized saucepan, bring 3 tablespoons annatto oil to a simmer over medium heat. Add the sofrito, capers, sazón and 1 teaspoon salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, until most of the liquid has evaporated away. Reduce the heat to medium-low then add the crab meat, stirring well to combine. Cook for another 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until flavours blend and crab has soaked up the seasoning. Adjust the salt to taste.

Create an assembly line on a long dining table or counter, preferably atop a cloth or towels that 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 ⅛ tsp of annatto oil in a wide oval shape nearly to the edge of the paper. Add about 2 tbsp of masa, then spread in a wide oval over the annatto oil, leaving at least a ½-inch border of paper uncovered. Add about 2 to 3 tsp crab meat to the centre 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-based saucepan, wok or deep fryer, bring about 5cm of vegetable oil (at least 1l) to a simmer over medium-high heat until it reaches 175C on a confectioner's 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 with a spider and drain on a baking tray lined with kitchen 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.