Fry jacks are a popular Belizean dish similar to New Orleans beignets and Latin American sopapillas. They are made with a simple recipe of shortening, flour, water, salt, and yeast, and can be served with sweet or savory toppings. Other Belizean breakfast favorites include Pie Johnny and plantain and mango bread.
Fry jacks are a staple in Belizean cooking – delicious browned, flaky dough. They are very similar to the New Orleans beignet, fried bread and Latin American sopapillas (alternatively spelled sopaipilla), which are made with flour tortillas and often topped with cinnamon, honey and whipped cream. Fry jacks are sometimes called beignets without powdered sugar, as they’re typically drizzled with honey or jam or served as a breakfast food with savory accompaniments such as beans, bacon, and eggs.
Basic jacks are made with simple recipes that combine shortening, flour, water, salt, and yeast. The dough is then quickly fried in hot oil, which causes the dough to rise slightly and produce a crispy, crusty, golden brown rectangle or triangle. When sopapillas are made, the tortillas may be cut or they may be fried whole, with the tortilla becoming puffy and crispy as it cooks in the hot oil.
Although fry jacks are often compared to beignets, they can differ in ingredients. In New Orleans, two types of beignets are popular. Some use choux pastry, which may contain egg, and others use yeasted dough, which creates a much higher rise. However, the amount of difference between jack and beignet is quite slight, and many people would gladly do that since both foods are very popular with fried food lovers.
Another distinction between fry jacks and beignets is the seasoning. Beignets are almost always served with powdered sugar, but fry jacks are generally divided into two categories: those topped with jam or honey, and those topped with refried beans. In this way, fry jack is much more similar to sopapilla, which may not even be served as a dessert, but as part of an appetizer. Of course many people eat jacks or beignets not as dessert, but as breakfast or as part of a mid-morning snack.
For people familiar with this delicious Belizean fried bread, there are several variations that receive rave reviews. The types of plantain and mango are reverently mentioned. Another Belizean breakfast favorite is Pie Johnny, much like topping pancakes, but baked instead of deep fried. Both breads may contain lard, although trends today have more cooks replacing the lard with vegetable shortenings or vegetable oil.
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