Ingredients
Seaweed
- 300 gfresh green seaweed from clean rock
- or 60 g dried sea lettuce, soaked
- cold water, for washing
Batter
- 200 gplain flour
- 2eggs
- about 200 ml water or beer
- 1 teaspoonbaking powder
- 2garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 teaspoonsalt
- black pepper
- chopped parsley
To fry
- oil, for deep frying
- coarse salt, for finishing
To serve
- lemon wedges
- a garlic mayonnaise
Directions
- Check local water quality notices before you gather. Take seaweed that is still attached to the rock. Cut it with scissors rather than pulling it off.
- Take only a small amount from any one patch. People with thyroid conditions should be cautious. Rinse it in several changes of cold water. Lift it out rather than pouring the water off. Check it over and pick out any shells or weed. Repeat until no sand settles at the bottom. Bring a pot of water to the boil.
- Drop the washed seaweed in for thirty seconds. Lift it out into cold water at once. Drain it thoroughly and squeeze out the water. Chop it roughly with a sharp knife. Wet seaweed makes a runny batter, so squeeze it hard.
- Put the flour and baking powder in a bowl. Beat the eggs and add them to it. Add the water or beer a little at a time. Whisk it into a smooth thick batter. Add the crushed garlic and the chopped parsley.
- Season it with salt and black pepper. Season it well, since seaweed needs it. Let the batter rest for fifteen minutes. Stir the chopped seaweed through the batter. It should be thick enough to hold on a spoon.
- Add a little more flour if it seems loose. There should be plenty of seaweed in each spoonful. Pour oil into a deep pan to six centimetres. Never fill a pan more than halfway with oil. Heat the oil to about 180C for frying. A drop of batter should sizzle up at once. Drop spoonfuls of the mixture into the oil. Do not crowd the pan at any point.
- Fry them for about three minutes. Turn them once as they colour. They should be golden and puffed. Lift them out onto kitchen paper. They should be crisp outside and soft within. Break one open to check the first batch. There should be no raw batter inside. Scatter coarse salt over them at once. Serve lemon wedges for squeezing. They lose their crispness within minutes.
Technique
- Rocha and Maldonado are Uruguay’s ocean-facing coastal departments and the seaweed is gathered from their rocks at low tide.
- Seaweed concentrates whatever is in the surrounding water, so gathering location matters for safety.
Substitutions
- Dried sea lettuce soaked in water works when fresh seaweed is not available.
- Beer in place of water in the batter gives a lighter and crisper fritter.
Variations
- Some stalls add grated cheese to the batter.
- A version with chopped onion mixed through is also made.
- Similar seaweed fritters are fried in Spain and in Chile.
History
A coastal speciality of Rocha and Maldonado, sold at seaside stalls in summer.
Frequently asked questions
What is Buñuelos de algas?
Buñuelos de algas is a street food from Uruguay: fritters of seaweed picked from Atlantic rocks, fried and salted. A coastal speciality of Rocha and Maldonado, sold at seaside stalls in summer.
How long does Buñuelos de algas take to make?
Buñuelos de algas takes 30 minutes of preparation and 20 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes about 24 fritters. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Buñuelos de algas?
Yes, within limits. Dried sea lettuce soaked in water works when fresh seaweed is not available. Beer in place of water in the batter gives a lighter and crisper fritter.
What is the most important thing to get right in Buñuelos de algas?
Check local water quality notices before you gather. Take seaweed that is still attached to the rock. Cut it with scissors rather than pulling it off.
