Acaraje are a popular street food snack in Brazil, especially at the beach. Black-eyed peas, seasoned with ground dried shrimp and onions, are shaped into balls and deep fried in palm oil, then split and filled with a spicy shrimp and onion filling. Though dried shrimp are a traditional ingredient in acaraje, they tend to impart a very strong flavor. In this milder version, the cooked fritter is split and then filled with fresh shrimp and caramelized onions.Ingredients:
For the Filling:
1 onion
1 cup small shrimp, fresh or frozen, shelled and de-veined
2 tablespoons palm oil or olive oil
For the Fritters:2 cans black-eyed peas
1 clove of garlic
1 onion
1 red chili pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
Palm oil and/or vegetable oil for frying
Preparation:
Make filling: Slice onion very thinly. Spread onions out on a skillet with the olive oil or palm oil, and cook on low heat until they are golden brown (about 15 minutes). Add shrimp and saute until shrimp are pink. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
Make the fritters: Thoroughly drain the black-eyed peas and place them in the food processor. Roughly chop the onion and garlic, and add it to the peas.
Clean the pepper of seeds and add to the processor.
Process mixture just until well-blended. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Add flour by the tablespoon, until mixture is stiff enough to hold a shape. Divide into 15 pieces, and form into balls or ovals.
Heat 2 inches palm oil and/or vegetable oil in a pot on medium high heat. Fry several fritters at a time until browned, turning once, about 5 minutes. Drain fritters on a cookie sheet lined with paper towels. Fritters can be kept warm in a 200 degree oven.
Split fritters and fill with a spoonful of the onion and shrimp mixture. Serve warm.