Almojábanas con Mermelada de Recaíto (Puerto Rican Rice Flour & Cheese Fritters with Culantro Marmalade)
Puerto Rican Almojábanas are fritters made with rice flour and a mild white cheese, leaving each bite crispy on the outside with a molten cheese center. They are extra decadent dipped into a homemade culantro marmalade.
Written By César Pérez | Sep 16, 2021
Ingredients
Almojábanas con Mermelada de Recaíto (Puerto Rican Rice Flour & Cheese Fritters with Culantro Marmalade)
Almojábanas
- Whole Milk,1,cup,,,
- Unsalted Butter,2,tablespoons,,,
- Sugar,2,Tablespoons,,white-sugar,
- Kosher salt,,,,,
- Rice Flour,1 ½,cups,,fine-ground-rice-flour,
- Baking Powder,1,Teaspoon,,baking-powder,
- Mild White Cheese (Queso Fresco / Queso del País),1,Cup,Crumbled,,
- Eggs,2,,,,
- Canola Oil,2,Cups,,,
Mermelada de Recaíto
- Garlic,5,Cloves,Sliced,,
- Culantro,4,Leaves,Chopped (can substitute fresh for jarred),inca-foods-culantro-paste,
- Cilantro,4,Stems,Chopped,,
- Ají Dulce (small sweet peppers),5,,Chopped,,
- Red Onion,½,Small,Minced,,
- Yellow Onion,½,Small,Minced,,
- Bay Leaf,1,,,daun-salam-indian-bay-leaf,
- Limes,2,,Juiced,,
- Cracked Black Pepper,1,Teaspoon,,butchers-10-ground-black-pepper,
- Kosher Salt,½,Teaspoon,or to taste,,
- Brown Sugar,1,Cup,,murakami-okinawan-brown-sugar,
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil,2,Tablespoons,,agr-ilia-organic-extra-virgin-olive-oil-16-9oz,
Directions:
Almojábanas
- Bring milk, butter, sugar, and a generous pinch of salt to a simmer over medium heat.
- While the milk mixture is coming to a simmer, mix rice flour, baking powder, and crumbled cheese in a bowl with a fork.
- When milk mixture comes to a simmer, slowly add in rice flour mixture while stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Continue stirring until dough begins to come away from the sides of the pot.
- Allow dough to cool for 5 minutes. After dough has cooled, add in eggs while again stirring continuously until no more egg is visible.
- Heat 2 cups oil over medium high heat until oil has reached 350 degrees. Using a tablespoon or small ice cream scoop, scoop almojábana mixture into oil being mindful to not overcrowd the pan. Move around carefully with a spoon to ensure even cooking. Cook for 2 minutes or until golden.
- Move fritters onto a wire rack or paper towel and immediately sprinkle with coarse salt. Serve immediately.
Mermelada de Recaíto
- Heat extra virgin olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add all ingredients at once.
- Reduce heat to medium-low, and cook stirring often until marmalade has thickened, about 30 minutes.
- Remove from heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
- Serve with hot almojábanas.
