''Alcapurria'' is a popular
fritter dish from
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and unincorporated ...
.
Origin
It may have influence from Middle Eastern ''
kibbeh
Kibbeh (, also kubba and other spellings; ar, كبة, kibba; tr, içli köfte) is a family of dishes based on spiced ground meat, onions, and grain, popular in Middle Eastern cuisine.
In Levantine cuisine, kibbeh is usually made by pounding ...
'' as there is a significant amount of Lebanese and Armenian in San Juan.
Preparation
The dough surrounding the filling, the ''masa'', is made primarily of green banana and grated
xanthosoma
''Xanthosoma'' is a genus of flowering plants in the arum family, Araceae. The genus is native to tropical America but widely cultivated and naturalized in other tropical regions. Several are grown for their starchy corms, an important food s ...
("yautía") in most of Puerto Rico with optional addition of squash. Green banana can be replaced with
breadfruit,
cassava
''Manihot esculenta'', commonly called cassava (), manioc, or yuca (among numerous regional names), is a woody shrub of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, native to South America. Although a perennial plant, cassava is extensively cultivated ...
,
taro
Taro () (''Colocasia esculenta)'' is a root vegetable. It is the most widely cultivated species of several plants in the family Araceae that are used as vegetables for their corms, leaves, and petioles. Taro corms are a food staple in Afri ...
, green or yellow plantains or other
arrowroot
Arrowroot is a starch obtained from the rhizomes (rootstock) of several tropical plants, traditionally ''Maranta arundinacea'', but also Florida arrowroot from ''Zamia integrifolia'', and tapioca from cassava (''Manihot esculenta''), which is oft ...
s. Alcapurrias are generally seasoned with
lard,
annatto
Annatto ( or ) is an orange-red condiment and food coloring derived from the seeds of the achiote tree ('' Bixa orellana''), native to tropical America. It is often used to impart a yellow or orange color to foods, but sometimes also for its f ...
,
garlic and
salt
Salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl), a chemical compound belonging to the larger class of salts; salt in the form of a natural crystalline mineral is known as rock salt or halite. Salt is present in vast quant ...
. The annatto gives it signature yellow/orange color. Annatto seeds are simmered in lard to release most of its color and flavor. Seeds are discarded and the tinted lard is then poured over the ''masa''.
The ''
masa
''Masa'' (or ''masa de maíz'') (; ) is a maize dough that comes from ground nixtamalized corn. It is used for making corn tortillas, '' gorditas'', ''tamales'', '' pupusas'', and many other Latin American dishes. It is dried and powdered into ...
'' is refrigerated for several hours to achieve a solid consistency. Diced potatoes cooked with ''
picadillo
Picadillo (, "mince") is a traditional dish in many Latin American countries and the Philippines. It is made with ground meat (most commonly beef), tomatoes (tomato sauce may be used as a substitute), and also raisins, olives, and other ingredien ...
'' or
corned beef are the most typical fillings; others include
longaniza
Longaniza (, or ) is a Spanish sausage (embutido) similar to a chorizo and also closely associated with the Portuguese linguiça. Its defining characteristics are interpreted differently from region to region. It is popular in the cuisines of ...
,
blood sausage, braised meat, cheese, seafood and vegetables. They can be deep-fried in lard or
oil
An oil is any nonpolar chemical substance that is composed primarily of hydrocarbons and is hydrophobic (does not mix with water) & lipophilic (mixes with other oils). Oils are usually flammable and surface active. Most oils are unsaturated ...
, or baked (''alcapurrias horneadas''). When cooked, the fritter is "hot and brittle". Alcapurrias are served at kiosks and at fine restaurants, as well.
Other
During the
COVID-19 pandemic in Puerto Rico and the lockdowns that went along with it, small restaurants around the island found ways to deliver hot alcapurrias to people's homes.
See also
* ''
Bacalaíto
A bacalaíto is a salted codfish fritter, a traditional Puerto Rican snack that typically is eaten with an entire meal. Bacalaítos are served at the beach, ''cuchifritos'', and at festivals. They are crispy on the outside and dense and chewy in ...
''
*
Empanadilla
An empanada is a type of baked or fried turnover consisting of pastry and filling, common in Spanish, other Southern European, Latin American, and Iberian-influenced cultures around the world. The name comes from the Spanish (to bread, i.e., ...
References
External links
Alcapurria recipe
Puerto Rican cuisine
Banana dishes
{{PuertoRico-stub