more experiments: kitchen magic: acaraje

[khoomeizhi]

experiments with weird-ass ingredients is all well and good, but what about those occasional epiphanous recipes with super-basic ingredients?

just had one of those experiences with acaraje (should be an accent on the e). it's just soaked (overnight), dehulled blackeyed peas, blended with some onion, some chili, and salt and pepper, and then left to ferment for a few hours (did five-ish today). then when you're ready to go, you whip the stuff like it was egg-whites, and it does the same stiff-peaks thing, and then you fry it. traditionally (this is afrobrazilian in origin, fyis, a new-world take on a recipe that would have you steaming the batter tamale-style in west africa) it would get deep-fried in palm oil, which sounds pretty awesome. failing the deep-frying facilities, we pan-fried them like pancakes.

the texture and overall feel of these things (especially considering they're made mostly of beans) is so amazing. you spoon this foamy, meringuey stuff into the hot pan, and in 20 or 30 seconds, it's set up enough to flip it. makes these light, fluffy, yet somehow creamy pancakes that set up thicker than regular pancakes (like more than a half-inch thick), that taste remarkably like a fluffy latke or something. i think you could back off on the onion a bit and do something non-savory with 'em too.

FUCKING AMAZING. this is totally going in fairly regular rotation 'round here. apparently they're all the thing in bahia.

we need a better method for skinning a bowl full of soaked peas/beans, but the first reactions are kickass.

i love a food that lets you start it and then leave it alone to work on itself for awhile, too. fermentation rocks.

/stonerfoodblog

[Lumpy]

That sounds hella groovy (as long as I don't have to de-hull the black eyed peas by hand). Is it easy to make? I'm not into shucking peas and stuff like that (lazy/busy/bachelor)

[khoomeizhi]

there's supposed to be a technique where you rub the skins off the beans, that should be faster...but i didn't have the patience to perfect it - only to give up and peel the fuckers by hand, thereby taking longer.

in my defense, i was high.

will report back next time, when i try a more efficient technique for longer...

[deleted account]

sounds pretty damn good.  so when blending you just blend the shit out of it?

[khoomeizhi]

blend (blender) all the shit together, wait hours, then whip (whisk, not blender).

[MadJohnShaft]

You need a fine Brazilian lady to rub the skin off your beans.

[khoomeizhi]

count on shaft for the innovation. i'll 'get right on it'.

[deleted account]

I'll probably rub the skin off my beans later

[yeezuz]

experiments with weird-ass ingredients is all well and good, but what about those occasional epiphanous recipes with super-basic ingredients?

just had one of those experiences with acaraje (should be an accent on the e). it's just soaked (overnight), dehulled blackeyed peas, blended with some onion, some chili, and salt and pepper, and then left to ferment for a few hours (did five-ish today). then when you're ready to go, you whip the stuff like it was egg-whites, and it does the same stiff-peaks thing, and then you fry it. traditionally (this is afrobrazilian in origin, fyis, a new-world take on a recipe that would have you steaming the batter tamale-style in west africa) it would get deep-fried in palm oil, which sounds pretty awesome. failing the deep-frying facilities, we pan-fried them like pancakes.

the texture and overall feel of these things (especially considering they're made mostly of beans) is so amazing. you spoon this foamy, meringuey stuff into the hot pan, and in 20 or 30 seconds, it's set up enough to flip it. makes these light, fluffy, yet somehow creamy pancakes that set up thicker than regular pancakes (like more than a half-inch thick), that taste remarkably like a fluffy latke or something. i think you could back off on the onion a bit and do something non-savory with 'em too.

FUCKING AMAZING. this is totally going in fairly regular rotation 'round here. apparently they're all the thing in bahia.

we need a better method for skinning a bowl full of soaked peas/beans, but the first reactions are kickass.

i love a food that lets you start it and then leave it alone to work on itself for awhile, too. fermentation rocks.

/stonerfoodblog

cool, i love the food that is made and loved in this section. i always learn something new and even if i am not going to make it myself, i likes to read about it. did you fill it with anything? i read the traditional filling was cashew shrimpy spicy stuff. yum.

[khoomeizhi]

yeah, we did some kind of ad-libbed chicken/veggie/stewy/spicy thing.

[RAGER]

i think I'll attempt these tonight with vatapa and caruru.  although all the things I've read, there's no mention of fermentation

[khoomeizhi]

it's the OG way, yo.  just like for dosai/idlis.

[RAGER]

Ahh for the aerated fluffy texture you're saying

[khoomeizhi]

that and the tangy flavor elements from fermentation are important.

[khoomeizhi]

made this again tonight...the fermentation period definitely helps the fluffy texture. readies the proteins to be rearranged.

fuckin' nice.

[lowdaddy]

for skinning beans try:

take half a handful of beans in one hand.  then press your palms together with the beans in the middle, like you're praying. then rub back and forth fairly vigorously.  it'll probably take a little practice to get right but it should go a long way toward skinning them.  this works great for individual cloves of garlic as well.  if you have tough enough hands.

[khoomeizhi]

word. got much more efficient on the bean-skinning this time. and then you can just float 'em off with running water into the bowl.

[MadJohnShaft]

I am all over this

[DavidATX]

I don't think I have ever had this in brazil. Gonna ask my wife if she has. In general the only part of Brazil that likes spicy food is Bahia. Hell, you will be hard pressed to find black pepper shakers on restaurant tables.

[DavidATX]

Yeah, she has never had it either. Said she skipped that part when she visited Bahia once. Sounds extremely regional, but interesting.

[MadJohnShaft]

I bought the bag of black eyed peas. Step one done.