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  • Alcapurria

    2 votes
    Alcapurria
    Prep: 1 days Cook: 5-7 min Servings: 15
    by ANNEMARIE RIVERA
    3 recipes
    >
    Alcapurria is basically a fritter made of green bananas and yautia (taro root) and stuffed with meat. I have also had them made with yucca (cassava root), which are extra tasty. If you happen to find yourself in Puerto Rico you can find them sold in the roadside kiosks and cuchifritos. They are best enjoyed sitting on the beach drinking a nice cold Malta.

    Ingredients

    • Masa (dough)
    • 5 very green bananas (guineitos verdes)
    • 2 lbs of yautia (taro root)
    • 2 tsp of salt
    • 1 packet of Sazon with achiote
    • 1 Tbs of melted cooled shortening
    • 1 Tbs olive oil
    • Picadillo (meat filling)
    • 2 Tbs olive oil
    • 2 Tbs of sofrito
    • 1 ounce of cooking ham
    • 8 stuffed olives (chopped)
    • 1/2 tsp of capers
    • 1/2 lb ground beef or pork
    • 1/2 tsp of dried oregano
    • 1/2 tsp of Sazon with achiote
    • 1/2 tsp of salt
    • 1/4 tsp of black pepper

    Directions

    1.
    First you need 2 lbs of yautia (taro root) and 5 green bananas. If the only green bananas you can find are very small, you may want to double up on the bananas. I had to double up this time.
    2.
    Make sure to give the yautia a good scrub, then peel with a potato peeler until you get to a clean white flesh
    3.
    Now peel your green bananas. Peeling a green banana is much like peeling a plantain. I recommend you wear some gloves though because they release a sticky sap when peeling them.
    4.
    Grate the bananas and yautia using your food processor. Mine was full up to the rim when I was done.
    5.
    Change the blade on the food processor and puree mixture until dough like. It may even turn into a ball in the food processor.
    6.
    Add one envelope of very bright orange Sazon. It is orange because it is Sazon con Achiote and the achiote is what makes it orange.
    7.
    Add 1 tsp of table salt and 1 Tbs of melted cooled shortening.
    8.
    Finally add 1 Tbs of olive oil.
    9.
    Mix everything together until well combined. The dough should have an even orange tinge to it. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.
    10.
    Heat a large frying pan with 2 tbs of olive oil over medium-high heat. Saute sofrito and onions until tranlucent.
    11.
    Add diced cooking ham and cook for about 2 minutes
    12.
    Add 1/2 lb. of ground meat to the pan.
    13.
    Add the seasonings, 1/2 tps of dried oregano, 1/2 tps of Sazon with achiote, 1/2 tps of salt and 1/4 tps of black pepper.
    14.
    Once the meat is nice and brown add 1/2 tsp of caper
    15.
    8 chopped pimento stuffed olives
    16.
    Lower the heat to medium, cover and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste the meat for seasoning, add more if it needs it. Don’t worry it is a wee bit on the salty side it will balance out once you assemble the alcapurria. Set filling aside.
    17.
    Take a piece of foil and brush it with oil. You can also use wax paper or banana leaf
    18.
    Spread a heaping 1/4 cup of dough onto the foil.
    19.
    Spread a heaping 1/4 cup of dough onto the foil.
    20.
    Place 1 heaping tablespoon of filling in the center. Be careful not to put in too much filling or it won’t close properly.
    21.
    Fold over one side of the foil
    22.
    roll it and press it
    23.
    When you peel away the foil, finish shaping it and pinch the ends to seal.
    24.
    Gently slide the alcapurria into the hot oil and let them cook for 5 – 7 minutes, or until a deep golden brown and firm to the touch.
    25.
    Remove from oil and drain on paper towel lined plate.

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