Yaniqueques

Ingredients

Dough

• 400 gplain flour
• 1 tspbaking powder
• 1 tspsalt
• 60 gbutter or lard, cold
• about 180 ml cold water

To fry

• oil, for deep frying

To serve

• salt
• hot sauce
• with fried fish
• at the beach

Directions

1. Rub the cold fat into the flour, baking powder and salt until it looks like breadcrumbs. Add cold water gradually and bring it to a firm dough. Keep it firm rather than soft, since it has to be rolled very thin without tearing.
2. Knead it briefly, only until smooth. Do not over-knead it. Rest it, wrapped, for 30 minutes. The rest lets the gluten relax so it can be rolled thin, and an unrested dough fights you.
3. Roll each out as thin as you can, into a disc of about 15 cm. Roll them thin, no more than 2 mm. This is the whole point: thick discs puff into doughy bread, and thin ones blister into a crisp shell.
4. Roll from the centre outward and turn them as you go. Test with a scrap: it should rise and bubble immediately without browning instantly.
5. Fry for about a minute a side until deep golden and blistered. Do not crowd the pan as they fry.
6. Lift them out and drain them on a rack rather than paper. A rack keeps the underside crisp where paper traps steam and softens it. Salt them the second they come out or it will not stick.
7. Serve them hot, whole, with hot sauce. They must be eaten within minutes, since they soften as they cool and never fully crisp again.

Technique

• Cocolo cultural expressions of San Pedro de Macorís are UNESCO listed.
• The name is johnny cake worn down by Spanish pronunciation.
• Beach vendors mostly sell the puffed version.

Substitutions

• Lard in place of butter, which is more traditional.
• Any plain flour and a hot pan of oil.

Variations

• Pricked and fried flat, for a crisper disc.
• Served under fried fish as a base.
• Split and filled, as a sandwich.

History

Fried flat dough discs sold at Boca Chica beach; the name and the food came from the johnny cake of English-speaking cocolo migrants.

Frequently asked questions

What is Yaniqueques?

Yaniqueques is a street food from Dominican Republic: crispy fried johnnycake discs, a beach snack. Fried flat dough discs sold at Boca Chica beach; the name and the food came from the johnny cake of English-speaking cocolo migrants.

How long does Yaniqueques take to make?

Yaniqueques takes 20 min plus 30 min resting of preparation and 20 min of cooking. The recipe makes about 12. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Yaniqueques?

Yes, within limits. Lard in place of butter, which is more traditional. Any plain flour and a hot pan of oil.

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

Rub the cold fat into the flour, baking powder and salt until it looks like breadcrumbs. Add cold water gradually and bring it to a firm dough. Keep it firm rather than soft, since it has to be rolled very thin without tearing.