Jamaican Ackee Fritters
Prep time: 25 mins | Cook time: 15 mins | Total time: 40 mins | Servings: 12
What is Ackee? Ackee is Jamaica’s national fruit and was first introduced to Jamaica in the 18th century from the West African slaves brought to the island.
Ackee has a delicate and slight nutty flavor, with a hint of sweetness. Jamaicans usually eat Ackee for breakfast, but can be eaten at any time of the day.
I wanted to do something different with Ackee for breakfast and so I made them into Fritters. They are delicious by themselves or with a yummy dip. I think these Ackee fritters are great as a side dish or a great idea for breakfast/brunch.
In the United States, only canned and pre-prepared Ackee is available. My family and I aren’t really canned Ackee fans, so we’ll get it imported or bring it back from Jamaica and freeze them, till we need it. But, if canned Ackee is your only option and you really want to make this recipe, then go for it - it is what it is!!!
Ingredients
2 cups parboiled Ackee
2 cups of Chickpea flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 cup of Just Egg (if you’re 100% soy-free, use aquafaba)
1 ¼ cup Water
Grapeseed Oil - for frying
Seasonings
½ tbsp dried thyme
2 cloves of finely grated garlic
1-2 Jamaican Scotch Bonnet peppers
2 tbsp chopped red onions
½ tbsp paprika
Instructions
In a bowl, combine the ackee and seasonings. Mix gently because you want to be careful to not mush all of the ackee - we want there to be some chunks left over.
In another mixing bowl, add in the flour and baking powder. Then, add in your Ackee mixture, plant based Just egg mix and water - fold in gently.
Once the consistency is similar to the thick consistency of a pancake batter, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit for 20 minutes before frying - because of the baking powder needing to do its work to lighten the batter (adding baking powder is definitely optional, in my opinion).
Next, fry fritters in hot oil and you want to turn them frequently to encourage an even color. They can all take some time to cook, depending on how many fritters you’re frying. But, it should take 3-4 mins to cook each.
Serve and enjoy with a dipping sauce of your choice!
