Fry

CARITAS AKA BLACK-EYED PEA FRITTERS

March 22, 2011
4
1 Ratings
  • Serves a crowd
Author Notes

A good friend who came to this country from Cuba a number of years ago told me how to make these. She is one of the best overall cooks I know, but I have a particular fondness for her creations from Cuban and Spanish cuisines. The black-eyed peas are soaked in advance, but they do not undergo the water-based cooking usually used for legumes. According to my broken Spanish, caritas means something like "little darlings." My friend also refers to these as bollitos (little balls). —friendlyoaks

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 1 pound dried black-eyed peas
  • 5 cloves garlic, mashed
  • Salt and pepper
  • 4-6 tablespoons water
  • Vegetable oil for deep frying
  • Lime juice
Directions
  1. Soak the black-eyed peas overnight in an excessof water.
  2. Rub off the skins. (Gently rubbing the peas against a sieve works well.) Give the peas a second soak in fresh water for another hour. Drain them.
  3. Puree the peas with garlic and salt and pepper to taste in a processor. With the motor running, add water until the puree is thick and smooth.
  4. Heat the vegetable oil to 375 degrees in a deep-frying skillet or an electric fryer.
  5. Drop the puree by tablespoonfuls into the oil. Fry the fritters until golden brown. Do not fry too many at once.
  6. Place the finished fritters on a paper towel over a rack. Keep them in a warm oven until ready to serve.
  7. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and lime juice. Serve hot.

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