Rice Calas New Orleans Rice Fritters Food

CREOLE CALAS (RICE FRITTERS)

Steps:

• Mix the yeast, 1 teaspoon of the sugar and water together. Let it proof for about 10 minutes until puffy.
• Whisk together the flour, remaining sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Stir in the proofed yeast, rice and egg; cover and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes or up to 1 hour.
• Preheat fryer to 375 degrees F.
• Scoop fritters using a spoon or a small cookie scoop and form into a ball. Gently transfer to fryer and fry until golden brown, turning once.
• Remove and drain on a rack over paper towels and serve warm, sprinkled generously with sifted powdered sugar, or drizzled with your favorite preserves, jam, or pure cane syrup (like Steen's brand) and with a piping hot cup of café au lait.

CALAS - RICE FRITTERS

Steps:

• The day before you want to make your Calas, combine the water and sugar in a small bowl. Add the yeast and let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes. Add the rice and stir well. Cover with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature overnight. This step will really give your Calas a distinctive flavor; think sourdough.
• The next day, stir the rice mixture and kind of mash the rice against the side of the bowl with a wooden spoon. Don't go too crazy though, I like to have a bit of that rice texture in the finished product.
• Add the remaining ingredients to the rice mixture, mix well with a wooden spoon. The mixture should be a fairly loose batter, a little thicker than pancake batter. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour. This step will make your Calas as light as air when fried! (Here is where I digress from the original recipe: be aware that if you let it rise the whole time it will soak up a lot more oil into the air pockets that will form. I let it rise for 15 minutes and they turn out perfectly and much less fatty)
• Heat 3 inches of peanut oil in a large saucepan to 365 degrees. Drop spoonfuls of the Calas batter into the hot oil. Fry until golden brown, turning once. Serve with lots and lots of powdered sugar, like Beignets, or drizzle with Cane Syrup. Recipe makes about 6 good sized Calas.

CALAS FRIED RICE FRITTERS

Steps:

• Bring 1 cup of water and a pinch of salt to a boil in a small saucepan. Add the rice, stir once, reduce the heat to low, and cover the pan, cooking 18 to 20 minutes or until the grains of rice are plump and fluff apart with a fork. Turn the rice out onto a parchment paper--lined baking sheet and cool for 15 minutes, then transfer to a plastic container (don't pack it in). Cover with plastic wrap and poke a few holes in the top. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours or up to 2 days.
• Pour enough peanut oil into a large pot to fill it to a 2 1/2- to 3-inch depth and bring to a temperature between 350°F and 360°F over medium heat. Line a plate with paper towels and set aside.
• While the oil heats up, place the flour, baking powder, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Using a stand mixer or a hand mixer, beat the eggs, sugar, and vanilla on high speed until foamy and tripled in volume, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Sift in half of the dry ingredients, add the salt, and mix on low speed until only a few dry streaks remain. Sift in the remaining dry ingredients and mix on low speed for a few turns, then add the rice and mix until the fritter batter just comes together into a loose, roughly textured ball.
• Once your oil is hot, dip a teaspoon in the hot oil, then into the batter and scoop out a heaping teaspoonful. Hold the spoon close to the oil and let the batter roll off and into the oil. Repeat with the remaining batter; using a slotted spoon, turn and baste the fritters occasionally, allowing them to become golden brown on all sides. (Fry the fritters in two batches if your pot becomes overcrowded.) If the temperature of the oil dips below 350°F, increase the heat to medium-high. Once the fritters are golden brown, transfer them to the prepared plate to cool slightly. Serve on a small plate drizzled with lots of cane syrup.