Marinad

Ingredients

The batter

• 300 gplain flour
• 2eggs
• about 300 ml water
• 2 teaspoonsbaking powder
• 1 teaspoonsalt
• black pepper

The seasoning

• 3 tablespoonsepis
• Haitian green seasoning
• 3spring onions, chopped
• 4garlic cloves, crushed
• 1scotch bonnet, chopped
• or to taste
• a handful of parsley, chopped
• 2 sprigsthyme, leaves picked
• juice of 1 lime

The filling

• 300 gsalted herring
• soaked and flaked
• or 300 g cooked chicken, shredded
• or both

To fry and serve

• oil, for deep frying
• pikliz
• lime wedges

Directions

1. Rinse the surface salt off first. Cover it with cold water in a bowl. Give it at least eight full hours. Taste a small piece to check the salt. It is fiercely hot and very sharp.
2. Rinse the salted herring under cold water. Put it into a bowl of fresh cold water. Leave it to soak there overnight. The salt stops coming out then. Drain the soaked herring thoroughly. Flake it and check it for bones. They do not soften in cooking. Pull them out with your fingers. Put the flour in a large bowl.
3. Add the baking powder and the salt. Beat the eggs in a separate bowl. Add them to the flour as well. Adding the water in takes care. Add the water gradually, whisking as you go. It should be a thick dropping batter.
4. Add the epis to the batter now. Add the chopped spring onions. Add the crushed garlic and the chilli. Add the parsley and the thyme leaves. Squeeze in all of the lime juice. The batter should be full of green. Fold the flaked herring through the batter. Season it with plenty of black pepper.
5. Taste it before adding any more. Chicken versions need considerably more. Fry a small spoonful in a pan. Taste it and adjust the seasoning. It takes two minutes and is worth it. Cover the bowl and let it stand. Give it about twenty full minutes. Pour the oil into a deep heavy pot. Fill it no more than half full. Heat it to about one hundred and seventy degrees. It should rise and sizzle steadily.
6. Keep a lid nearby to smother a flare-up. Never put water on an oil fire at all. Keep children well away from the pot. Frying them takes care and batches. Take a spoonful of the batter. Slide it into the hot oil gently. Use a second spoon to push it off. Do not crowd the pot at any point. Turn them over with a slotted spoon. Give them another two or three minutes.
7. Break the first one open to check. The inside should be cooked and set. Lift them out onto a wire rack. A rack keeps them crisp underneath. Let all the excess oil drip away. Serving them is done immediately and hot. Pile them onto a serving plate. Put a bowl of pikliz on the table. They must be eaten hot from the oil.

Technique

• These are deliberately dense fritters rather than light and airy ones, which is characteristic rather than a fault; the inside comes out dense rather than open, so do not mistake that for underdone. Akra, made from grated malanga root, is the lighter Haitian fritter and a different thing.
• The batter should be full of green: epis, spring onion, garlic, chilli, parsley and thyme all go in, and it is heavily seasoned rather than lightly, which is what makes it marinad.
• Fry one small test fritter and taste it before frying the batch, since raw batter cannot be judged for salt — salted herring brings its own and chicken versions need considerably more. It takes two minutes and saves the whole batch.

Substitutions

• Cooked shredded chicken stands in for salted herring, or both go in together.
• Epis, the Haitian green seasoning, is made in quantity and kept for almost every savoury dish.

Variations

• Pikliz is served with them as a necessary part rather than a garnish.
• The chilli level varies considerably between cooks.
• They are sold from carts and made in quantity for parties.

History

A Haitian street and party fritter, heavier than akra and eaten with pikliz to cut the oil.

Frequently asked questions

What is Marinad?

Marinad is a snack from Haiti: spoonfuls of seasoned batter with herring or chicken, fried into dense fritters. A Haitian street and party fritter, heavier than akra and eaten with pikliz to cut the oil.

How long does Marinad take to make?

Marinad takes 30 minutes of preparation and 25 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes about 30 fritters. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Marinad?

Yes, within limits. Cooked shredded chicken stands in for salted herring, or both go in together. Epis, the Haitian green seasoning, is made in quantity and kept for almost every savoury dish.

What is the most important thing to get right in Marinad?

Rinse the salted herring under cold water. Put it into a bowl of fresh cold water. Leave it to soak there overnight. The salt stops coming out then. Drain the soaked herring thoroughly. Flake it and check it for bones. They do not soften in cooking. Pull them out with your fingers. Put the flour in a large bowl.