Festival
Jamaican festival
Lightly sweet fried cornmeal dumplings commonly served with jerk meats and fried fish.
About this dish
Lightly sweet fried cornmeal dumplings commonly served with jerk meats and fried fish. The recipe here chooses one named variation from that wider tradition; household fillings, shapes and serving styles may differ.
Recipe
Jamaican fried festival
- 250 g all-purpose flour
- 60 g fine yellow cornmeal
- 40 g brown sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 25 g melted butter
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 150-180 ml water
- 750 ml neutral oil for frying
- 1
Use 250 g all-purpose flour; 60 g fine yellow cornmeal; 40 g brown sugar and the listed remaining ingredients. Mix dry ingredients. Stir in butter, vanilla and enough water for a firm but pliable dough; rest 10 minutes. Mix dry ingredients evenly and add water gradually; firm dough should bend without cracks. Cover the rest.
- 2
Divide into 12 and shape into short tapered cigars about 9 cm long and 2 cm thick. Make equal thickness so middles cook at the same rate.
- 3
Fry in batches at 170-175°C/340-350°F 5-7 minutes, turning until golden and cooked inside. Drain and serve warm. Use a thermometer and small batches. Lower heat if outside colors before center cooks; test fluffy cooked interior, drain and cool briefly.
Note
Keep the shapes narrow; large festival can brown outside while remaining raw inside. Fine cornmeal gives the characteristic texture.