Albondigas Fritas (Fried Meatballs)

Hello my fellow foodies I'm back again (very busy with school and so on hopefully in my summer break I will have more time I had a wonderful Spring Break spent in Orland, CA camping with friends for several days, then going to San Francisco and spending about two days there and finally back to my life in So Cal, but I promise as I have in the past that I won't abandon my blog and I still read my fellow foodies blogs quickly even if I don't have time to comment) So again as I promised here is a post, I will keep trying to have something at least once a month.

This is my Tata's recipe (grandmother from my father's side) simple to make, and quick to put together, delicious Cuban style small fried meatballs that are juicy and flavorful and great to serve as finger foods at parties with tooth pics or a simple meat dish to enjoy with your meal with some white rice (always in my rice cooker or leftovers), black beans (we always have some bean dish around in my house), and a simple raw salad (like tomato, onion, cucumber) dressed in olive oil, lime or lemon, and salt.

When we make these in my house we quickly run out of them as everyone can't resist but to get seconds and thirds and so on until they are all gone, they are addictive (common who doesn't like fried meats)

Ingredients:
-2 lbs. ground beef (I use 80% beef 20% fat)
-1 medium onion minced
-6-8 cloves garlic finely minced (mashed to paste with mortar or garlic press)
-1/4 bunch of washed, minced parsley or cilantro
-3 eggs beaten well
-1 cup or 1 1/2 cups cracker meal (it's just crackers that have been mashed up like bread crumbs I eye balled it)
-2 tsp. salt (more to taste)
-1 tsp. ground black pepper
-1 tsp. ground cumin
-oil to deep fry or pan-fry (I use canola oil or lard for my high heat cooking and I pan-fry or deep-fry in it to, any neutral flavored oil will get the job done though)

Directions:
(1)Put ground beef in a big bowl, add all ingredients except oil to the bowl and incorporate gently until everything is just incorporated. DO NOT OVER MIX OR IT WILL BE TOUGH!!!

(2)Form into small sized meat balls, do not make them to big or when you cook them the inside will be raw and outside burned. Make them into reasonable small sized not to small not to big. I was able to make about 36- 37 meatballs.

(2)Heat oil enough to pan-fry or deep-fry on medium high heat until oil is hot enough to check dip a wooden spoon or chop stick if it sizzles or bubbles around it, it is ready. Now add meat balls and fry in small batches until really well browned all around. As they fry spoon hot oil over the meatballs and flip when ready to brown on other side if pan-frying. I turn them over with a fork and spoon but I do not stab it.

(3)When cooked transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to drain oil and repeat frying process in batches until all done.
RECIPE NOTES:
1)*The meat mixture can be made in advance and just keep it in the fridge covered until ready to use to form meatballs and fry or you can even form the meatballs in advance and just cover them in the fridge until ready to use
2)*If you have leftover meatballs you can make a Cuban "sofrito" (sautee minced onions, bell peppers, garlic in olive oil, add tomato sauce, some water to form a looser sauce bring to boil and season with some salt and cumin until sauce comes to a boil and simmer cooked meatballs in there for a little bit and serve as a new dish with white rice or on spaghetti)
3)*The leftover oil is delicious to use for cooking steamed white rice it has a delicious flavor but is sinful :)

AWARDS:
-I have received a blog award from Marilyn from "My Cuban Traumas" and also in the past a couple from Karen Brown Letarte and her wonderful blog "Domestic Muse" I apologize for not being able to pick up your awards in a timely manner but I will try to tomorrow pass them on and go pick up my awards :) and I will make a post for them, and maybe if I have more time I will post a new recipe. (right now I am just really tired and it's 1 in the morning and I want to sleep I just had the urge to give my blog a visit and post something to treat any readers out there)

Look forward for a future post on a old Cuban recipe for "Potaje de Frijoles de Carita" (Cuban Black Eyed Pea Stew)

Frituritas de Bacalao (Salted Cod Fritters)

These fritters are made from dry salted cod that has been de-salted and rehydrated. Dry salted cod is called "Bacalao" by Cubans, Spaniards, and I assume Portuguese to. Bacalao has been around for probably ages and was popular because it can last a very long time and didn't need refridgeration or anything in the old days. It is still popular in Spain and Cubans also enjoy Bacalao.

Salted cod fritters are more of a Spaniard thing but also enjoyed by Cubans (many of whom are of Spaniard parentage, etc. so much of it's cooking is heavely influenced and we share some dishes of course I am talking about pre-Castro Cuba the Cuba of today is different as well as the Cuban population there migration by Spaniards came to a halt after the Communist revolution, and most of Spanish parentage fled to USA or many left to Franco's Spain at the time.)

I have seen several recipes for salted-cod fritters and the recipe I am showing you today is from my great grandfather Raymundo Gutierrez, who was born in Spain and settled in Cuba. He is my grandmother's (my Tata's) father in law. He use to have a "Bodeguita" (like a type of food store) in Habana, Cuba around the streets "Bella's Quaine" (I hope I spelled it right) and "Louie" from (or maybe "Compastela"?) 1940- 50's not sure exactly where but my grandma said it wasn't to far from "Hobras Publicas" she said it was a large business district. The name of the store my Tata tell's me was "La Bodega de Clemente" (named after my Cuban born grandfather Clemente Gutierrez)

He use to be known for his salted cod fritters, and sold them in his "Bodega" (small food grocery place), my Tata tells me he use to make big batches and keep them warm in some container and start selling them at around 8 AM and everyone loved them at the time they sold for 10 cents each fritter.

So yeah this recipe is fairly old, the last time everyone heard from Raymundo Gutierrez was in 1963, he had citizen ship in the US and as well and fought in world war 1, he left Cuba during the revolution, but he was hearing rumours of how Fidel Castro was gonna "make Cuba better" and all his false promises, he was decieved and decided to go back to Cuba, he was told he could keep his business and what not, when he left my Tata and grandfather would send him his retirement checks from here but they would get cashed and they never would hear from him, after investigating someone was cashing them but it wasn't his signature, and he never responded to letters, time passed and they didn't here from him or anything.

They passed him for dead no one knows what really happened, my Tata thinks maybe he was killed like so many where during the first 5 years of the dictatorship for having a big mouth, or he realized what he got himself into and tried to escape and probably died at sea trying to get back to US. Not sure.

So there's a little backround story for those interested :)

Ingredients:
-1 lbs. Bacalao (dry salted cod preferebly the fillets)
-2 teaspoons baking soda
-2 cups all-purpose flour
-1 handful about 1 bunch finely minced fresh parsley leaves
-6 cloves garlic peeled mashed to a paste
-2 large eggs, beaten
-1 1/2 cups water (or more as needed)
Directions:
(1)Get the salted cod, rinse, and put in a large pot of water and bring to a boil, then when it comes to a boil drain, and put back in a pot with more water and bring to a boil again let it boil until salted cod can be flaked with a fork a bit, taste if it's salty if so, you need to drain it and bring to a boil again with more water (yeah I know time consuming but it's my grandmothers method she doesn't like to prepare in advance and soak the salted cod for several days or a day so yeah)




(2)Now get the de-salted bacalao and remove any spines or skins and flake into small bite size pieces, set aside.

(3)Now put the flour in a large bowl, and add baking soda, add eggs slowly add water until you get a pancake batter consistency, you may need more water than called for just eye ball it add a little at a time and be sure it's a loose pancake batter consistency. Mix in parsley and mashed garlic. Then fold incorporate flaked cond fish.

(4)You now have your batter, cover it all let it rest atleast 2-3 hours in the refridgerator preferably let it rest over night.

(5)When ready heat enough oil to deep or pan-fry at medium high heat for about 4-5 minutes (to test it I dip a wooden spoon and if it sizzles and or bubbles around it's ready) now get the batter and drop it by the tablespoonfuls and fry until golden on both sides you can move it around with a fork and a spoon.

(6)Do not over crowd pan, and have a large plate or whatever with papertowels or paper bags to drain them on.

(7) Enjoy while hot the batter can last a while so you can fry only what your gonna eat.

You can serve it as a appetizer, snack, or to replace the meat dish in a meal.As you can see in the picture below I was a gluttonous pig (yes I'm a sinner to I had Avocado salted, Platano Frito, Arroz Blanco, and Frijoles Negros topped with minced onion and very generous drizzles of olive oil with a sprinkle of salt yes we love olive oil)

Yuca Frita (Fried Cassava)

Hmmm what to do with leftover boiled Yuca that you used to make "Yuca Con Mojo", after you drained it and now it's all firm and cold, easy make some "Yuca Frita" and serve it with some Mojo, it is delicious and easy.

This is by far my favorite way to eat Yuca, it's like thick Yuca fries or chunks fried til golden with a tasty Mojo (garlic citrus sauce very pungent)

Again I posted this thinking of Nuria from Spanish Recipes because she asked me about Yuca (like I mentioned in my Yuca Con Mojo post) so this is the final dish I am guessing she might've had.

I only know of Yuca about the typical Cuban stuff), either boiled or boiled then fried served with mojo, or boiled mashed and stuffed with Picadillo (cuban ground beef hash) then rolled in egg and cracker meal then fried. I've seen restaurants that make there "Yuca Rellena" (stuffed Yuca) by just splitting Yuca almost in half, stuffing then frying I think that is lazy (because they don't want to go through the trouble of removing the hard parts from teh Yuca. mashing, and rolling in bread crumbs and egg)

Ingredients:
-leftover boiled Yuca that is cold or at room temperature that hasn't been sitting in water
-oil to deep-fry or pan-fry (I use canola oil, peanut oil is good to as well as Sunflower oil so is lard and extra-light olive oil for frying they have a high smoking point and can resist high heat.)

For sauce see click on:
-Mojo recipe

Directions:
(1)Cut cooked Yuca into thick sticks (like a thick Julienne)

(2)Heat oil on high heat crank it up until it is hot enough (I test it by dipping a chop stick in the oil if it bubbles/ sizzles it's ready sometimes I use a wooden spoon to) now add your Yuca and fry until golden brown on all sides. Drain and set aside. (remember oil should be hot because Yuca is cooked already you just want to make it golden and brown, if to low they will start overcooking and fall apart)


(3)Serve with Mojo sauce.

Arañitas de Platano (Shredded Green Plantain Fritters)

Okay I saw this in the Cuban cookbook "Memories of a Cuban Kitchen" and I have also seen this recipe online, it comes up all over the place. I've seen some that add grated ginger or garlic, sometimes both, other's do it plain. Other's infuse the oil with garlic then fry these fritters.

Not sure if this is "Cuban" I don't think it is, I have never seen this in Cuban cooking, maybe it's a Puerto Rican thing? Or other Carribean or African thing? Or heck maybe it's part of that weird "Nouveau Cuban Cuisine" I am not fond of (honestly don't mess with tradition if it's already good).

Whatever it is these fritters are delicious and any Cuban would like them.

Here is how I make them after reading around.

Ingredients:
-2 green plantains
-4 cloves garlic
-salt to taste
-oil to pan-fry or deep-fry

Directions:
(1)Mash garlic to a paste in a mortar with some salt.

(2)Grate the plantains on the medium holes of a grater, when all are grated mix well with garlic

(3)Heat oil on medium high heat until hot, then with a spoon grab some of the shredded plantain mixture, press slightly and slide into the hot oil it will crisp fry until golden brown on each side, carefully turn with a fork or with whatever you can.

(4)Put them to drain on a plate with paper towels or paper bags and sprinkle lightly with salt.

P.S.
So the ratio I use is for every 1 green plantain I use 2 cloves of garlic.

I served it with some Cuban Sandwiches I made with leftover lechon and a avocado salad, for dessert we had some "Pastelitos de Guayaba" (Guava Strudels), serve with whatever you want.

Majuas Fritas o "Pescaito Frito" (Fried Smelt)

I forgot the typical Spanish name for the fish called "Smelt", my mother calls them "Charales" my Tata (grandmother) I forgot what she calls them, but thanks to one of my reader's "Mamey" and asking my Tata recently I found out it's called "Majua"

Well anyways this is a very simple dish, it's just seasoned smelt, dusted with flour then pan-fried or deep-fried your choice. Served with lime wedges.

Main Ingredients:
-1 pound Smelt clean
-4 cloves garlic mashed to paste
-1 tsp. ground cumin
-1/2 tsp. ground black pepper (optional)
-salt to taste
-a little bit of freshly squeezed lime juice (maybe like 1 lime?)
-flour for dusting
-olive oil for pan-frying or a neutral flavored oil for deep-frying that can withstand high heat.
To serve:
-wedged limes to squeeze over
-fresh minced cilantro or parsley to garnish (optional)

Directions:
(1)Rinse the smelt, pat dry, if you wish and are patient you can clean the inside out, etc. but they are small fish, most people just rinse them and prepare as is, my mother is SUPER PICKY about cleanliness, she guts them and everything, you don't have to.

(2)Put smelt in a bowl toss gently with a little bit of freshly squeezed lime juice, salt, pepper, cumin, and garlic.

(3)Heat enough olive oil to pan-fry them, on medium high heat, when oil is hot enough, dust them with flour and lightly fry them until golden on each side in small batches, remove and set aside to drain on paper towels. (If your in a hurry. just heat plenty of oil in a skillet or wok on really high heat, dust them and fry them quickly, I prefer the flavor when they are lightly fried in olive oil on medium high heat, and the oil infuses with the garlic and YUM!)

(4)Serve them as an appetizer or snack, or a simple side. Here's a picture of the one's I put on my plate to eat.

PLEASE NOTE:
(1)This a a very basic way to season fish in Cuban cooking, it's a very simple "adobo" that can be used to season ANY fish then fry it or pan-fry it. Very tasty. The way the fish are seasoned it my grandmother's really basic way to season almost anything that is gonna be just pan-fried, or browned such as meats, etc. (we usually season meats with just lime or bitter orange, garlic, and salt, sometimes with the addition of cumin and sometimes pepper to and depending on what sometimes also oregano.)

Frituritas de Calabaza (Pumpkin Fritters)

The name is self explanatory, a pumpkin based batter, dropped by the spoonful in hot oil and fried until golden brown very tasty.

In Cuban cooking we have a wide variety of fritters as you've probably seen from some of my other posts. I am not sure but I think the fritters are probably something inherited from African influence, because Pumpkin Fritters are very popular in South Africa and are prepared in a very similar manner or so I have read around.

I asked my grandmother for a recipe for pumpkin fritters she told me she never made them, that her husband rather eat the Calabaza steamed smothered in Mojo de Ajo (Garlic Lime Sauce). So I had to come up with my own way of doing it, and the ratio's that I think would work best to make a good fritter, so here goes.

Ingredients for batter:
-3 cups Calabaza (I used a Kabucha) mashed up to a paste
-2 eggs
-2 tablespoons regular white flour
-2 teaspoons baking powder
-3 tablespoons sugar (more or less to taste)
-1 tablespoon butter

Directions:
(1)Heat oven to 425 degrees fahrenheit, cut Calabaza in half, scoop out pulp and seeds, rub with oil and put in oven for about 1 hour or less uncovered until edges begin to brown, then take out and let cool. I only used 1 small Calabaza I cooked 2 small Calabazas so tomorrow I can eat the other Calabaza with Mojo de Ajo or mash it to use it for "Pumpkin Bread" or something similar. When I mashed 1 it yielded 3 cups.

(2)Scoop out flesh and mash with a fork or whatever you have on hand, it should be a dry thick paste, doesn't have to be perfect, dump in eggs, melted butter, flour, baking powder, sugar, cinnamon powder and stir together until well incorporated. The batter should be thick and cling to the spoon sort of... but not to dry either.

(3)Now cover and let rest about 1 hour.

(4)Heat oil on medium high heat, and fry by the teaspoonfuls or tablespoonful until golden brown on each side, they should puff slightly. I use a fork and a spoon to flip and take out.


(5)Let them cool a bit and drain on PLENTY of paper towels or paperbags, fritters are usually oily and need to drain well.

PLEASE NOTE:

(1)The version I made can be eaten with food if you want to make it into dessert then simply toss it when cooled a bit in a mixture of cinnamon and sugar, or simply make a syrup infused with cinnamon by boiling equal water to sugar with a couple cinnamon sticks for 10 minutes on medium then drench them in syrup or drizzle generously over fritters. Maybe you can add more sugar to the batter if you please but it will also burn more easily the more sugar you add :)

(2)The pumpkin is baked uncovered because if it steamed or boiled the batter might be to runny.
(3)Use a starchy winter squash , DO NOT USE REGULAR PUMPKIN, use a Carribean/ Jamaican Squash, Japanese/ Kabucha Squash, Cheese Pumpkin, Acorn Squash, Butternut Squash, or Hubbard Squash, you need to use starchy fleshed one's like those.

Frituritas de Malanga en Dulce (Malanga Fritters in Syrup)

A couple of weeks ago I made "Frituritas de Malanga" which I posted and I said there was 2 version a "savory" one flavored with garlic that is very tasty and another one that is sweet that my grandmother makes. (for an explanation on what "Malanga" is go look at the savory version I wrote about there)

The sweet version is a batter that made primarily of grated Malanga root and flavored with anise seed then it is drenched in a cinnamon infused sugar cane syrup that can be made with white sugar or unrefined solid cane sugar or even dark brown. The batter of these fritters have NO SUGAR because they will be served with a sweet syrup.

Today I will show you the sweet version that is much loved in my home.

Ingredients for batter:
-3 medium Malangas
-2 eggs
-2 tablespoons flour
-2 tsp. baking soda
-1 teaspoon anise seed
Ingredients for syrup:
-1 cup water
-1 cup dark brown sugar, or white sugar or 2 Piloncillos called "Raspadura" by Cubans (it's your choice which one you use it's personal taste)
-2 small sticks of cinnamon

Directions for fritter batter:
(1)Rinse and wash root well. Peel Malanga root and place in a bowl with water with a squeeze of lime to prevent discoloration.


(2)On the small grating holes of the grater grate all the Malanga it will be a sticky paste. Add eggs, flour, baking soda, and anise seed stir all together until well incorporated, cover and set batter aside to rest about 1 hour in the fridge.

Directions for syrup:
(1)Bring water, sugar, and cinnamon stick to a boil in a small pot on high heat, once it comes to an even boil let it boil uncovered for 10-15 minutes stir well and set aside, your syrup is done. It is like a light honey that will thicken as it cools but it will never be too thick it's not suppose to be.

Directions for rest of it:
(1)Heat a pan with enough oil to submerge fritters at least half-way or 3/4's of the way or more on medium high heat for about 5-7 minutes, when oil is hot drop fritters in small batches by small tablespoonfuls, let them fry on each side until it gets a beautiful golden brown color, I flip them with a fork and another spoon.

(2)Once golden brown all over set aside on a plate or baking dish that has either paper towels or paper bags. When hot moisten with very little syrup on top and let cool a bit.

(3)When ready to serve drizzle syrup to taste or dredge them in syrup on a plate and serve.
NOTE:
- You may substitute the "taro" roots found in the Asian stores for "Malanga" because Taro root is very similar and related to Malanga, also the Puerto Rican root "Yautia" can be used and I think you'll get same results if you use Ñame to.

Frituritas de Camote (Sweet Potato Fritters)

This is not a traditional "Cuban" recipe, but my grandmother makes these beautiful tasty sinful fritters made of "Sweet Potato" I think this would make a nice addition to a "Thanksgiving" meal here in America (or Canada)

Main Ingredients:
-3 medium fat sweet potatoes
-2 large eggs
-1/2 cup white flour
-1 tablespoon baking powder
-sugar to taste (also optional but see note below)
-1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon (optional)
-oil to deep fry
Directions:
(1)Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees, get sweet potatoes and lightly rub them with oil, put in a baking dish uncovered to bake about 40 minutes- 1 hour.

(2)Let cool, peel and mash to a paste (don't be picky just mash it it doesn't have to be super smooth or anything)


(3)Add beaten eggs, flour, baking soda, cinnamon and sugar to taste. Mix batter it should be a thick batter than you can scoop and it can sorta hold it shape like "gloppy"

(4)Let batter rest for 1 hour. Now heat oil on medium high heat enough to pan-fry/ deep-fry. When ready drop the batter by the spoonfuls and and brown on each side, set aside on a plate with paper towels.


NOTE!:
If you wish you can skip the cinnamon and sugar BUT you will need to make a heavy syrup to drizzle over the fritters when they are done. My grandmother for this makes a syrup with equal dark brown sugar to water with 1 cinnamon stick to flavor it. She brings it to a boil, when it reaches desired consistency it's ready to use.

ALSO do not try to steam or boil it to make the batter, it will make the batter to loose and watery, the reason the sweet potatoes are baked uncovered is so that they release a lot of their liquid and are nice and starchy for the batter.

LASTLY VERY IMPORTANT don't try to be healthy and make these " sugar free" or any of that may I say "crap" or they'll taste NASTY, if you wanna do that just steam, bake, or boil the sweet potato and eat it by itself :)