Calas
Old New Orleans rice fritters: leftover cooked rice mixed with sugar, egg, flour and nutmeg, dropped into hot oil and fried golden puffy balls.
Overview
Cooked long-grain rice (slightly over-cooked, soft) mashes lightly with sugar, beaten egg, milk, vanilla and a pinch of nutmeg. Flour and baking powder fold through to a thick batter. Rest for 30 minutes. Drop tablespoons into 175°C oil; fry for 2-3 minutes per side until deep gold. Drain; dust with icing sugar.
Ingredients
- 300 g cooked long-grain rice (slightly soft - see Notes)
- 2 eggs (large, beaten)
- 80 g caster sugar
- 80 ml whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 150 g plain flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 litre vegetable oil for deep frying
- 100 g icing sugar (for dusting)
Method
Stage 1 - Mash rice
- In a wide bowl, mash the cooked rice lightly with a fork - keep some grains visible.
Stage 2 - Wet mix
- Stir in the eggs, sugar, milk and vanilla.
Stage 3 - Dry into wet
- Sift flour, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt into the bowl.
- Fold to a thick batter (slightly looser than pancake batter).
Stage 4 - Rest
- Cover; rest 30 minutes - the rice absorbs moisture and the baking powder activates.
Stage 5 - Fry
- Heat oil to 175°C in a deep heavy pan.
- Drop tablespoons of batter into the oil. Fry in batches of 6-8.
- Cook 2-3 minutes per side, turning, until deep gold and puffed.
- Drain on kitchen paper.
Stage 6 - Sugar
- While still warm, dust generously with icing sugar.
Stage 7 - Serve
- Eat warm with strong chicory coffee or a glass of cold milk.
Notes
- Rice texture: Slightly over-cooked, soft rice is right - gives a tender fritter. Drying-out leftover rice from the fridge works perfectly.
- Rest the batter: The baking powder needs to activate; the rice needs to drink some moisture. 30 minutes is the minimum.
- Eat warm: Calas are 50% better in the first 10 minutes after frying. They turn dense and chewy when cold.
Storage
- Best fresh.
- Refresh briefly in a 180°C oven 3 minutes if you must.
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