Akkra

(West African black-eyed pea fritters)

Yield: 30-40 fritters

Basic Steps: Remove skins → Puree → Deep Frying

Place the beans in a large bowl and fill bowl with water. Rub the beans back and forth with your hands to remove their skins. The skins will rise to the surface and can then be poured off. Drain the beans.
Place the beans and onion in a food processor. Process to a puree, adding just enough water to form a thick paste. Season with hot sauce, salt and pepper.
Heat about 1 inch of oil in a sauté pan until it shimmers, about 365ºF. Fry spoonfuls of the batter, turning till brown on all sides. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate. Serve immediately with hot pepper sauce.

Akkra are traditionally fried in red palm, or dendê, oil, but peanut or any vegetable oil will do if you can't find palm oil.
Add minced chile pepper for a little extra heat.
Dried, ground shrimp can be added to the batter: about 1/4 cup for the above recipe. Or a whole dried shrimp can be pressed into a ball of batter before frying.
Some recipes call for the onion to be minced and sautéed before it is stirred into the bean puree. Or you can eliminate the onion altogether.
A little beaten egg or breadcrumbs can be added to the batter if it falls apart in the oil.

These bean fritters originated in Western Africa, but with the slave trade they spread to the Caribbean and into South America and Brazil. Crispy on the outside and creamy in the middle, they are variously known as akra, acra, accra, acrat and acarajé.
In Brazil, where they are called acarajé, they are popular street food. Often served split and stuffed with tasty sauces or stews, they are eaten like a sandwich.
A similar fritter with the same name is made in many Caribbean islands, but its base is either ground malanga root or a yeast flour batter. Flaked, cooked salt cod is usually stirred into the batter.