Alcapurria
|
Alcapurria | |
| Course | Appetizer |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Puerto Rico |
| Serving temperature | Hot |
| Main ingredients | Green Bananas, eddoe, achiote, Ground beef |
| Other information |
Popular throughout: Puerto Rico |
 Cookbook: Alcapurria  Media: Alcapurria | |
Alcapurria is a fritter dish from Puerto Rico.
Preparation
The dough surrounding the meat, the masa, is made primarily of green bananas (guineo) and eddoe (yautía) or grated cassava depending on area. Some cooks add grated calabazas (tropical pumpkins), taro, potato, plantains, and other starchy tropical tubers. The masa is colored and flavored with achiote seeds that have been infused with shortening this also bonds the masa making it easier to fry.
The meat is often spicy ground beef, such as picadillo, but can be any chopped meat or seafood. The masa is refrigerated for several hours to achieve a solid consistency, then filled with picadillo, ground beef, etc., and deep-fried in oil.
Cassava alcapurrias (alcapurria de yuca) are often stuffed with crab meat. Cassava is grated then squeezed removing as much liquid as possible. The masa is then mixed with annatto oil. Alcapurrias are also one of the many dishes served at kiosk stands and cuchifritos.
Other
In the Republic of Panama, "yuca alcapurrias" are called "carimañolas," stuffed with ground meat "picadillo" and eaten along or with other fried foods "frituras."
In the Dominican Republic cassava alcapurrias are known as chulitos.