Brazilian
Acarajé
Bahian black-eyed-pea fritters fried in dendê and filled with vatapá, shrimp, tomato, and chile.
12 servings · 90 minutes prep · 55 minutes cook
Ingredients
Vatapá
- 4 oz day-old crustless white bread, torn into pieces
- 1 1/2 cups unsweetened full-fat coconut milk
- 1/2 cup dried smoked shrimp, rinsed
- 1/3 cup roasted unsalted peanuts
- 1/3 cup roasted unsalted cashews
- 6 oz yellow onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
- 1 small malagueta or bird's eye chile
- 2 tbsp Brazilian red palm oil, or azeite de dendê
- 1/2 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
Acarajé
- 1 lb dried black-eyed peas
- 10 oz yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 1 1/2 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 3 to 4 cups Brazilian red palm oil, or azeite de dendê, for frying
Filling
- 8 oz small dried smoked shrimp, rinsed and patted dry
- 1 small yellow onion, very thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup finely shredded green cabbage
- 1 ripe tomato, seeded and finely diced
Directions
Peel the Black-Eyed Peas
- Cover the black-eyed peas with 3 inches cold water and soak 8 hours. Drain, cover with fresh water, and rub the peas vigorously between your palms to loosen the skins. Skim away the floating skins, changing the water and repeating until at least 90 percent of the peas are peeled. Drain exceptionally well.
Make the Vatapá
- For the vatapá, soak the bread in the coconut milk for 15 minutes. Blend the soaked bread and milk with 1/2 cup dried smoked shrimp, peanuts, cashews, chopped onion, garlic, ginger, and chile until completely smooth.
- Heat 2 tbsp dendê in a heavy saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the vatapá puree and salt and cook, stirring continuously and scraping the bottom, until glossy, thick, and able to hold a furrow, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool until warm.
Grind and Aerate the Batter
- Working in batches, process the drained peas and chopped onion to a very smooth, thick paste, adding no water unless the blades stall; if necessary, add no more than 1 tbsp water per batch. Transfer to a wide bowl and stir in the salt.
- Beat the bean batter vigorously with a wooden spoon or sturdy whisk for 8 to 10 minutes, lifting and folding to incorporate air, until it is noticeably paler, increased in volume, and a small spoonful floats in cold water.
Fry, Fill, and Serve
- Heat 3 inches dendê in a heavy pot to 350°F. Using two large spoons, shape scant 1/2-cup portions into large ovals and slide them into the oil, no more than 3 at a time. Fry, turning several times, until mahogany-brown, crisp, and cooked through at the center, 6 to 8 minutes. Maintain the oil between 335°F and 350°F and drain on a wire rack.
- Fry the 8 ounces dried smoked shrimp in the hot dendê for 30 to 45 seconds, just until aromatic and slightly crisp; drain well.
- Split each hot acarajé lengthwise without cutting all the way through. Fill with about 2 tablespoons warm vatapá, several fried shrimp, sliced onion, cabbage, and tomato. Serve immediately while the fritter remains crisp.
