Recipe - Croquetas De Jaibas Estilo Ybor

DOUGH RECIPE
2 Dayold loaf of white bread
1 teaspoon Salt
1 pound Fine bread crumbs
1 teaspoon Paprika

CRAB MEAT FILLING
One fourth cup Olive oil
1 lg Bermuda onion; finely
chopped
1 md Green pepper; chopped
2 Garlic cloves; minced
1 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Hot sauce
One half teaspoon Sugar
1 Bay leaf
1 teaspoon Chopped parsley
1 cn (8 oz) tomato sauce
1 pn Nutmeg
1 pound White crab meat (canned;
fresh or frozen)
1 ounce Dry sherry

(Crab Meat Croquettes, Ybor City Style)

Dough Recipe: The dough must be prepared and refrigerated, preferably
overnight. Remove crust from bread; soak in water for One half hour. Drain and
squeeze thoroughly. Add paprika and salt. Add the bread crumbs and work to
form a dough. Place in refrigerator to chill thoroughly.

Crab Meat Filling: Heat the olive oil in a skillet. Saute the onion and
green pepper until transparent. Add the garlic and saute all until soft.
Combine salt, hot sauce, sugar, bay leaf, parsley, tomato sauce and the
nutmeg. Add to saute and mi well. Cover and simmer for One half hr (add water if
needed during cooking time). Add the crab meat and sherry. Mix well and
cook covered another 10 min. Cool and refrigerate.

Preparation of the Croquettes: Remove dough and filling from refrigerator.
Take 2 generous tbsp. Of dough in palm of your left hand. Indent with the
back of a spoon in the center enough to fill with a tbsp. Of crab meat
filling. Work dough around filling to form a croquette.

Prepare a mixture of 2 eggs, 2 tbsp. Of water, salt and pepper and beat
vigorously. In a bowl, combine 1 cup of seasoned bread crumbs with One half cup
of all purpose flour. Mix well. Dip croquettes first in the egg mixture,
then roll in the crumb flour mixture to coat well. Place croquettes side by
side in a shallow dish. Cover with Saran Wrap or foil and refrigerate at
least 1 hour before frying in deep fat. (Make sure you have lots of your
choice of red pepper sauce available to pour onto them. It makes them even
more delicious.)

Yields 2 dozen small, 1 dozen large.

Posted to EATL Digest by Lillian Mount BirdsEtc@AOL.COM on Aug 30, 1997