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Dominican yaniqueques
Yaniqueques: Boca Chica's crisp fried dough discs, Dominican Republic
Boca Chica, just east of Santo Domingo, is where vendors walk the sand with trays of yaniqueques (the name comes from "johnny cakes"): wide, thin discs of dough fried until they puff, blister and crack like a cracker, sprinkled with salt or sugar and eaten with fried fish and a cold drink. The dough is just flour, baking powder, salt and water with a spoon of oil. The common mistake is rolling them too thick, which gives a bready fritter instead of a shatter-crisp one. Chef's tip: prick each disc a few times with a fork before frying so it blisters evenly instead of ballooning.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 10 ½ oz plain flourplus extra for rolling
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp saltplus extra to sprinkle
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- ¾ cup waterabout
- 3 ¼ cups vegetable oilfor frying
- 2 tbsp sugarfor a sweet version
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Mix 10 ½ oz plain flour, 2 tsp baking powder and 1 tsp salt in a bowl. Add 2 tbsp vegetable oil and enough ¾ cup water to make a soft dough that doesn't stick. Knead for 3 minutes until smooth, then rest for 5 minutes.
8 minStep 2: Divide into 12 balls. Roll each on a floured surface into a very thin round about 15 cm across, about 2 mm thick, and prick it a few times with a fork.
Step 3: Heat 3 ¼ cups vegetable oil in a wide, deep pan to 350°F. Fry the discs one or two at a time for about 1 minute each side, until puffed, blistered and golden all over. Drain on kitchen paper.
12 minStep 4: Sprinkle while hot with a little extra salt, or with 2 tbsp sugar for a sweet version. They stay crisp for a few hours.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 260 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 36 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does dominican yaniqueques take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of baking powder?
- ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda + ½ tsp cream of tartar per 1 tsp.
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