Deviled Crab Meat Croquettes, Ybor style

Dough: The dough must be prepared and refrigerated, preferably overnight.

Remove crust from bread; soak in water for 1/2 hour. Drain and squeeze thoroughly. Add paprika and salt. Add the bread crumbs and work to form a dough. Place in the refrigerator to chill completely.

Crab Meat Filling: Heat olive oil in a skillet. Saute the onion and green pepper until transparent. Add the garlic and saute all until soft. Add the next 7 ingredients to the saute and mix well. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes ( add water if needed during cooking time ). Add the crab meat and sherry, mix well and cook covered another 10 minutes. Cool and refrigerate.

Preparation of the Croquettes: Remove dough and filling from the refrigerator. Take 2 generous tablespoons of dough in the palm of your hand. Indent with the back of a spoon in the center of the dough enough to fill with 1 tablespoon of the filling. Work dough around filling to form a croquette.

Coating: Prepare a mixture of the eggs, water, salt and pepper, and beat vigorously. In a bowl, combine bread crumbs with flour, mix well. Dip croquettes first into the egg mixture, then roll in the crumb mixture, coating well. Place side by side in a shallow dish. Cover with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate at least 1 hour before frying in deep fat.

Recipe Source: Clarita's Cocina author Clarita Garcia, and her family owned and operated the world famous "LAS NOVEDADES" restaurant in Ybor City. Deviled crab rolls are on every menu in this city today.