Crispy Guyanese Egg Ball Street Snack

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A beloved Guyanese street snack, egg balls are hard-boiled eggs cloaked in a thick, seasoned flour batter and dropped into hot oil until deeply golden and crackling. Served piping hot with pepper sauce or chutney, they are the ultimate grab-and-go treat from Georgetown's roadside vendors.

Nutrition Facts

Per serving (estimated)

• 485 kcalCalories
• 28 gFat
• 5 gSaturated Fat
• 38 gCarbs
• 1.5 gFiber
• 0.5 gSugar
• 18 gProtein
• 640 mgSodium
• 140 mgPotassium
• 65 mgCalcium
• 2.8 mgIron
• 0 mgVitamin C
• 140 mcgVitamin A

Ingredients

For the eggs

• 6 large eggs
• Water, for boiling

For the seasoned batter

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp ground scotch bonnet or cayenne (optional)
• 3/4 cup cold water

For frying

• Vegetable or canola oil, for deep-frying (about 4 cups)

Directions

1. Place the eggs in a saucepan, cover with cold water, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer for 9 minutes, then transfer to an ice bath until completely cool. Peel and pat the eggs thoroughly dry with paper towels.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and optional scotch bonnet until evenly combined.
3. Slowly pour in the cold water while whisking continuously until a thick, smooth batter forms that drops heavily from the spoon and just coats the back of it. Let the batter rest for 10 minutes to relax the gluten.
4. Heat about 2 inches of oil in a deep heavy pot to 350°F (175°C), using a thermometer to maintain the temperature during frying.
5. Working one at a time, hold an egg by the ends and dip it into the batter, turning to coat it in a thick, even layer about 1/4 inch thick. Let any excess drip off briefly.
6. Carefully lower the battered egg into the hot oil using a slotted spoon. Fry 2 to 3 eggs at a time, turning occasionally with tongs, until the coating is deep golden brown and crisp on all sides, 5 to 6 minutes per batch.
7. Adjust the heat as needed to keep the oil at 350°F so the crust cooks through without absorbing too much oil.
8. Lift the egg balls out with a slotted spoon and drain on a wire rack or paper towels for 1 minute to release excess oil.
9. Serve immediately while hot and crackling, with pepper sauce, garlic sauce, or tamarind chutney for dipping.

Cook’s Notes

• Pat the peeled eggs completely dry with paper towels so the batter grips and does not slide off in the oil.
• Maintain the oil at 350°F; too cool yields greasy egg balls, too hot scorches the crust before the egg warms through.
• For an extra-crispy shell, double-coat by dipping the battered egg back into the batter a second time before frying.
• Serve the egg balls fresh and hot so the contrast between crackling crust and warm, tender egg is at its peak.
• Leftover batter can be fried alone as small fritters until golden, a popular snack for vendors to use up the bowl.

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