Alcapurrias Recipes

ALCAPURRIAS RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• Make the sofrito: Add the cilantro, culantro, bell pepper, garlic, onion, adobo seasoning, garlic powder, and pepper to a food processor and pulse until the vegetables are broken down and the mixture has the texture of a chunky salsa. Reserve ⅓ cup (75 G) for the filling, then set aside the remaining sofrito for another use. It will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, or in the freezer for up to 4 months.
• Make the filling: Heat the vegetable oil in a large, high-walled skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the reserved ⅓ cup (75 G) sofrito and cook, stirring frequently, for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant.
• Add the ground beef, olives, adobo seasoning, garlic powder, pepper, and Sazón Culantro and Achiote seasoning. Cook until the beef is no longer pink, 5-6 minutes.
• Add the tomato sauce and stir to combine. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the filling to a large bowl and set aside.
• Make the masa: Add the bananas, plantain, and yucca to a food processor and pulse until completely smooth, stopping the push the larger pieces to the bottom as you go. Transfer to a large bowl and add the garlic powder, salt, and Sazón Culantro and Achiote seasoning. Mix well to combine.
• To assemble, grease an 8 x 12-inch (20 x 30 cm) sheet of parchment paper with nonstick spray. Add about ⅔ cup (155 G) masa to the center of the parchment paper. Using a rubber spatula, spread the masa into an oval about ⅓-inch thick, leaving a 1-2-inch (2.5-5 cm) border of parchment around the edges.
• Scoop ⅓ cup (75 G) beef filling onto the center of the masa, leaving a 2-inch (5 cm) border of masa around the meat. Lift a long edge of the parchment paper up and over the filling to enclose with the masa, then repeat with the other side, then the short edges. The masa should stick to itself. Patch any holes with more masa, then use the parchment to gently roll the alcapurria from side to side to seal, making sure the filling is completely enclosed. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
• Heat the vegetable oil in a large, high-walled skillet to 350°F (180°C) over medium heat. Working with 1 wrapped alcapurria at a time, lower a long edge of the parchment into the oil and very gently roll the alcapurria off so it sits flat-side down, being careful not to splatter the oil. Add another alcapurria and fry for 2-3 minutes per side, or until golden brown and crispy. Use tongs or a slotted spoon to transfer to a paper-towel lined plate to drain and cool slightly while you repeat with the remaining alcapurrias.
• Serve immediately with hot sauce for dipping.
• Enjoy!

ALCAPURRIAS - STUFFED YUCA FRITTERS

Steps:

• For the Filling: Step 1 Heat oil in medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork. Cook, breaking up pork with wooden spoon, until no longer pink, 5-6 minutes; drain off and discard excess oil. Stir in olives, Sazón and Adobo. Cook, stirring until combined, about 1 minute more. Transfer pork mixture to bowl; transfer to refrigerator until chilled. For the Dough: Step 2 In medium bowl, stir together yuca, Sazón and Adobo until combined; set in refrigerator until chilled. To make the Fritters: Step 3 Scoop ¼ cup yuca mixture into palm of hand. Form into flat oval disk. Scoop 1 tbsp. cooled pork filling into center of dough. Fold dough over filling to enclose; roll dough in hands to form cylinder about 3" long. Place on clean work surface; repeat with remaining dough and filling (you may have some pork left over), until you have 12 yuca cylinders. Step 4 Heat 2" oil in heavy, deep pot over medium-high heat until oil registers 350°F. Add 3-4 yuca cylinders, taking care not to crowd pan. Cook, flipping with slotted metal spoon, until outside of fritter is crisp and dough inside is cooked through (internal temperature of 165°F), 7-10 minutes. Transfer fritters to paper towel-lined plate to drain. Serve warm.

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.

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.

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.

ALCAPURRIAS

Steps:

• Instructions: * * * Meat filling * * *.
• You will find the meat filling recipe under the Pastelillos recipe.
• Notice the meat combination of beef, veal and pork. You can leave out the veal and pork if you wish.
• Cut off the ends of the green bananas and with a paring knife make a slit length wise, making sure not to cut to deep, you just want to penetrate the skin.
• Place the bananas in a pan with hot water from the faucet and salt. This will make it easier to peel the skin off the banana.
• Once you have completed this stage, you will notice that the skin has started to come away from the banana.
• Take your knife and just move from side to side in a rocking motion. Do this the length of the banana and notice how easy the skin comes off.
• Place the peeled bananas in a pot with cold water and salt making sure that they are completely covered in water and set aside.
• Follow the same procedure with the green plantains and set aside.
• Peel the yautia and place in a pot with cold salted water.
• Peel the white potato and place in cold salted water.
• If you have or can get hold of a large deep roasting pan it will help you with the next step, and that is the grating part of this recipe. That's right we are going to have to use a grater. If you want a true Alcapurrias we are going to use some elbow grease, no blender or food processor.
• You can start by grating the green bananas right into the roasting pan, followed by the rest of the other vegetables except for the potato, leave that for last. The potato has always been used to clean and remove the residue of the other vegetables.
• Once you have completed the grating add the sofrito and mix thoroughly. Add 1/2; the can of evaporated milk and continue mixing. This would be a good time to add salt and pepper to taste. Now finally you can add the achote colored oil making sure to strain the oil so that none of the achote seeds fall into the mixture. Make sure that the mixture has completely absorbed all of the seasonings. The best way to this is to make sure that your hands have been washed clean and work the mixture like if was a piece of flour dough.
• Once you have completed the mixing of the masa put it in a large covered bowl and allow to rest in the refrigerator for at least four hours or preferably over night.
• When you are ready to fry the Alcapurrias, fill a deep fryer or caldero with enough oil or shortening for deep frying and heat to about 360 degrees.
• Make sure to wash your hands and then scoop out level kitchen spoon full of the mixture and place it on the palm of your hand. Add a teaspoon of filling in the center and then fold and roll into a cylinder shape making sure that the filling is well encased into the mixture. Set aside until you have at least two or three to fry at a time.
• Fry the Alcapurrias bathing the top parts by spooning the hot oil over them until golden brown. Don't raise the heat anymore than you have to you want them to fry slowly so that they will cook completely inside.
• Once they are done remove from the fryer and allow them to drain on a paper towel.

ALCAPURRIAS

Steps:

• Fill a bowl with hot water. Cut the ends of the guineitos and cut a slit lengthwise. Then place the guineitos in the hot water (hot water makes them peel easier).
• Peel the guineitos and yautía and as you peel place them in the salted water. If you are going to use a hand grater use the fine side and grate the vegetables into a plastic bowl. Note: If you have a food processor cut the vegetables into small pieces and process until fine. Add the salt, Sazon and shortening and mix well. Refrigerate for 3 hours or for best results overnight.
• In a frying pan brown the meat. Once browned add all the remaining ingredients and stir well then cook at medium heat for 15 minutes. Taste the meat for seasoning, add more salt if needed to taste.
• Heat 2 cups of vegetable oil to 375 degrees. Take a large piece of aluminum paper and place a little oil on top and smear it around. Spread about 1/4 cup of the alcapurria dough onto the aluminum paper. Place a tablespoon of the meat filling in the middle and flip one side of the dough over using the aluminum paper to cover the meat. Using a spoon help glide the dough gently into the hot oil. Cook until golden brown and blot on paper towels.