Ybor City Crab Croquettes

• 3 small onions, finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup finely chopped green pepper
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped hot red pepper
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 3/4 teaspoons salt, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1 pound claw crab meat, drained and flaked
• 6 eggs, beaten
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 3 cups cracker crumbs
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• Additional vegetable oil

1. Prepare Croquette Dough. Refrigerate 2 hours.
2. Saute onion, garlic, green pepper, and red pepper in 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon oil in a large heavy skillet 15 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, bay leaves, 1 teaspoon salt, and sugar. Cover and simmer 15 minutes over low heat. Add crab meat; cover and simmer an additional 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Transfer mixture to a medium mixing bowl. Remove and discard bay leaves. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours.
3. Shape Croquette Dough into 36 two-inch balls. Press each ball into a 4-inch circle. Place 1 tablespoon chilled crab meat mixture in center of each circle. Fold dough around crab meat mixture to form boat-shaped croquette, sealing edges.
4. Combine eggs, milk, remaining salt, and pepper in a large mixing bowl; beat well.
5. Combine cracker crumbs and flour in a large mixing bowl; stir well. Dip each croquette in egg mixture; dredge in cracker crumb mixture. Repeat dipping and dredging procedure to heavily coat croquettes. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours.
6. Fry croquettes, a few at a time, in deep hot oil (375u0b0) until golden brown. Drain well. Serve hot.

onions, garlic, green pepper, hot red pepper, vegetable oil, tomato paste, bay leaves, salt, sugar, crab meat, eggs, milk, pepper, cracker crumbs, flour, vegetable oil

Taken from www.myrecipes.com/recipe/ybor-city-crab-croquettes (may not work)