Sorulitos: a great way to fritter away your snack time

Wandering around the grocery store recently, I saw a box of frozen Sorullitos de Maiz.

What is this? I quickly googled a recipe...I mean what could not be great about fried cornmeal fritters with cheese? Like arepas in a stick form. Of course, I had to try it.

These are, from what I read, a staple in just about every home in the Caribbean. Most recipes call for cheese (usually edam or some variation of queso fresco). I found one or two recipes that included guava paste...I'm currently trying to cut back on sugar so I didn't try this one for me, but I don't know how one could possibly go wrong adding guava paste to anything.

Sorulitos would be a good appetizer for a Caribbean themed party or as a side dish with some black beans and rice (that's what I did) or even as an after-school snack or as a snack with a cup of coffee during the day. If you make these without sugar, they are savory, but you can add up to 3 or 4 tablespoons of sugar for a sweet snack.

Typically, these are served with ketchupmayo (just what it sounds like) that you can mix up yourself or buy pre-mixed in a squeeze bottle at most latin markets.

If you're following a gluten free diet, these are a great snack. It has a full, bready taste but no gluten.

Sorulitos de Maiz

Make a dozen fritters

• 2 cups of water
• 1 tablespoon of butter
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1 1/4 cups of cornmeal (finely ground is best)
• 1 cup of cheese, grated (edam or gouda)
• Oil for frying

1. Mix the water, the butter and the salt in a pan over medium heat.
2. Once this is boiling, pour in the cornmeal and stir and stir continuously for about four minutes or until it all comes together in a ball.
3. As soon as this happens, pull it off the heat and mix in the cheese until it's all incorporated.
4. Set it aside, let it cool and let your arms rest from all that stirring.
5. When it is cooled, it should feel like really soft modeling clay in your hands. If it's too crumbly, add a little warm water until it feels right.
6. Take golf ball size piece of the dough an roll it out into a log that is about 3 inches long. Do this with the rest of the dough. It should give you about a dozen logs.
7. Put about an inch of oil in a pan and heat it to about 350° F. 
8. Fry the sorulitos until they are golden brown. Drain on a wire rack.
9. Serve with dipping sauce.

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