Maakouda (Maghrebi Potato Fritters)

La storia di questo piatto

Maakouda belongs to the Maghreb, where potato fritters appear on tables from street stalls to family kitchens, each home keeping its own hand with cumin and paprika. Here the humble potato becomes something warm, golden and shared, perfumed with parsley, garlic and a squeeze of lemon.

Ingredienti

• 800 g Floury potatoes
• 2 pcs Eggs
• 1 (circa 30 g) bunch Fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 2 cloves Garlic
• 1 teaspoon Ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon Sweet paprika
• 1 e 1/2 teaspoon Fine salt (1 teaspoon in the dough and 1/2 for finishing)
• 1 tablespoon Coarse salt for the cooking water
• 1/2 teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 pcs Lemon (juice)
• 4 tablespoons Flour (3-4 tablespoons in the dough, as needed, plus a little for dusting)
• 500 ml Neutral seed oil for frying
• 4 teaspoons Harissa (to serve, about 1 teaspoon per portion)

Preparazione

1. Wash the potatoes well and place them whole, skin on, in a pot covered with cold water and coarse salt. The skin protects them and keeps them from absorbing water, so they stay dry inside. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer gently until the tip of a knife slides into the centre without resistance.
2. Drain the potatoes while still hot and peel them right away, using a cloth if they are too hot to handle. Pass them through a potato ricer (or mash carefully with a fork) until smooth and lump-free: when hot they become a light, dry purée, whereas cold they turn gluey. Immediately add 1 teaspoon of fine salt, the cumin, paprika, pepper, finely crushed garlic and chopped parsley, and mix: the heat will release the aromas of the spices.
3. Pour in the lemon juice, which brightens the flavours and lightens the potato. Add one whole egg and 3 tablespoons of flour, then work with your hands until the mixture pulls cleanly away from your fingers. If it remains sticky, add another tablespoon of flour at a time (up to 4 in total) until compact and smooth.
4. Lightly oil your hands and shape flattened patties about the size of an egg (around 14-16). Dust them lightly in flour on a plate, shaking off the excess. Beat the second egg with a pinch of salt in a deep dish and dip each fritter, draining well. Place the fritters on a tray and let them firm up in the fridge for 10 minutes so they do not fall apart when frying.
5. Heat the oil in a deep, wide pan to 170-175 °C. Without a thermometer, dip a wooden toothpick: it should produce lively, steady bubbles around it. Fry the maakouda in 3-4 batches, a few at a time so the oil temperature does not drop, for 3-4 minutes per side, until golden and crisp on all sides.
6. Drain the fritters on paper towels and, while still hot, sprinkle them with the remaining half teaspoon of fine salt: salt on the surface makes all the difference to the bite. Taste one and adjust with salt or lemon if needed. Serve hot with harissa on the side, on their own or tucked into a sandwich, as they are sold in markets from Algiers to Tunis.