Fry Jacks

Fry jacks are small pieces of flour dough that puff and turn golden when deep-fried. They are a breakfast food from Belize, and the frying does most of the work.

Fry jacks are usually eaten hot with beans or eggs for a savoury breakfast, or with syrup for a sweeter one. The same plain dough serves both, so the choice of accompaniment decides what kind of meal it becomes.

What it really is

Flour, baking powder, salt and water are mixed into a soft dough, which is shaped into pieces and lowered into hot lard. In the fat the dough puffs and browns, leaving a crisp golden outside and a light, airy inside. The dough has little flavour of its own, so the taste comes from the frying and from what is eaten with it.

Fry jacks are fried in lard, which is animal fat. Lard is what gives the pieces their rich taste and crisp surface, so the dish is not suited to vegetarians unless the kitchen fries them in another fat.

How it's served

• Hot, straight from the fat, while the outside is still crisp.
• Savoury, with beans or eggs, or sweet, with syrup.
• As a breakfast plate, usually a few pieces at a time, alongside the beans or eggs.

How to write it on the menu

• Name the base as fried flour dough, and list beans, eggs or syrup as the choice that goes with it.
• Flag wheat, which is the flour in the dough, and list any other allergens the kitchen adds with the filling or sauce.
• State that the pieces are fried in lard, so vegetarian guests know to ask before ordering.
• Price plain pieces, savoury plates and syrup servings as separate items so guests can see exactly what they are getting.