The Black Eyed Peas in Aruba
You might have guessed already that New York City does not have a random Aruban restaurant in its boroughs. The tiny island of Aruba literally has just over 100,000 inhabitants so I would have been thoroughly surprised if someone took on that venture.
Aruba is a beautiful island not too far off the coast of South America. It was colonized by the Spanish then the Dutch in the 17th century and has been a part of the Netherlands ever since. It lives in a gray area of autonomy where it has a Prime Minister + executive, legislative, and judiciary branches, but still is a constituent country of the Netherlands.
I have actually been to Aruba + I must say it is one of the oddest/most gorgeous places I’ve been to in the Caribbean. It’s a completely arid desert dotted with cactus and rocks instead of lush verdant plants that you’d be expecting while being in the tropics. Aruban cuisine is such a mixed bag that I can’t really say that I remember all the things I ate while I was there. Being right off the coast of Venezuela means its food was heavily influenced by Spanish + African influences as well as Dutch. A good example of this is the recipe that I decided to make for this newsletter, which is called cala.
Cala is a black-eyed pea fritter that is super crunchy on the outside and exceptionally airy on the inside. In West Africa, you can find the exact same fried snack, but it’s called akara. You can also travel to Brazil and find a similar snack sold on the streets called acaraje and it is split + stuffed with a shrimp paste. Africa’s reach on cuisine never ceases to amaze me.
I will be completely transparent that I almost gave up on this recipe right in the middle of it. It has minimal ingredients, but the prep work of removing the skins from the overnight soaked peas almost drove me off the edge. Next time I will try not to make a recipe the day after having very crappy sleep. I persevered and did indeed make the fritters. They take a bit of work, but the end result is SUPER satisfying.
These will disappear as fast as you make them. They’re so light that eating 8 in a row will happen in a blink of an eye. Fried till golden brown, the outer crust is crispy and the inside is fluffy + barely there. It has a nutty quality that you can only get from black-eyed peas and will go well with any spicy or sweet + sour sauce that you want to dip it in. May even taste really good with a creamier sauce like a sriracha mayo. Let me know if you try this recipe + what sauce you dip yours in!
Cala
2 cups soaked + deskinned dried black-eyed peas (this recipe doesn’t work with canned)
¼ cup water (give or take)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp onion powder
1 tstp cayenne pepper
2 cups+ frying oil
Soak beans overnight and deskin them. They come off easily if you rub the beans together between your hands. Put your beans in a high-powered blender or food processor and begin to pulse until smooth. Add about a tablespoon of water at a time to the blender to help the blending process. Add spices to the batter and give it one last whirl in the blender before transferring the mixture into a bowl.
The batter should be very thick and a bit foamy. If you find that your batter is too wet or foamy pour into a fine-mesh strainer and let the water drain out. Whip your batter either with a whisk or spoon for 2-3 minutes until it’s almost doubled in size. This will ensure that your fritters are extra airy.
In a medium-sized saucepan heat your oil over medium heat. If the heat is too high these will burn very quickly. Once the oil is hot enough use a tablespoon to scoop the batter so that it can be spooned into the oil gently. The fritters puff up as they cook. Make sure to turn them gently so all sides are browned well. They take about 3-4 minutes to cook to a nice golden brown. Once cooked, they can be drained on a paper towel, sprinkled with a bit of sea salt + devoured quickly!
We’re almost done with the A’s guys!!! Three more countries to go! Also, they’re all restaurants so you don’t have to hear me whine about making recipes >_< haha!
Cook. Eat. Repeat.
Natalie
Deskinning beans requires a monk's patience. So tedious! The finished products look so delicious though. No pain, no gain :) Excited to travel to Belgium, Bosnia and Brazil next!