Season 10 - Lunch / S10L15
Puerto Rican Alcapurrias (Stuffed Fritters)
Story
When Don Luis was a young boy in Bayamón, his abuela would shout from the patio, *“¡Las alcapurrias están listas!”* and every cousin within a 3-block radius would come running! 🤣 The aroma of ground beef simmering with sofrito, olives, and spices—wrapped in that golden, crispy plantain-and-yautía dough—was enough to spark a neighborhood reunion. Now, in his cozy rustic kitchen, Don Luis still makes them just the way abuela taught him. Except now, the cousins come with their own kids—*“¿Tío, hay más?”*—and the tradition carries on, one crunchy bite at a time. 🧡 Time & Nutrition
Ingredients
- For the dough (masa):
- 4 green plantains (peeled)
- 1 medium yautía (malanga or taro root), peeled
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp achiote oil (or regular oil colored with annatto seeds)
- For the filling:
- 1 lb ground beef
- 0.5 onion, diced
- 0.5 green bell pepper, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsp sofrito
- 0.25 cup chopped green olives
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Optional) Dash of hot sauce or sazón for extra flavor
- For frying:
- Neutral oil (canola or vegetable) for deep frying
Instructions
- 1Make the dough (masa):
- 2Grate the plantains and yautía finely using a food processor or box grater.
- 3Combine in a bowl, mix in salt and achiote oil until it becomes a smooth paste. Chill in the fridge while prepping filling. 🧊
- 4Cook the filling:
- 5In a skillet, heat a little oil. Sauté onion, pepper, and garlic.
- 6Add ground beef and cook until browned.
- 7Mix in sofrito, olives, and optional spices. Simmer for 5-7 min. Let it cool. 🍲
- 8Assemble the alcapurrias:
- 9On parchment paper or oiled banana leaf, spread 2–3 tbsp masa into a rectangle.
- 10Spoon 1–2 tbsp of meat into the center. Fold the masa over the filling using the paper. Seal edges and shape into a log.
- 11Fry them up!
- 12Heat oil to 350°F (175°C). Carefully slide in each fritter and fry for 5–7 minutes or until golden and crispy.
- 13Drain on paper towels. Let them cool slightly before devouring. 🔥
About the narrator
Don Luis · A character for three generations
Don Luis is the brand character and narrator for this catalog: a warm voice for Puerto Rican family recipes tested by the real creator behind the brand. The project carries three generations of flavor and writes each recipe step by step so any kid can follow it.
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