A little history about this one:

Not long after Columbus first discovered the New World, Portuguese Fisherman were plying the waters off Newfoundland for codfish, which they preserved first by gutting, filleting and salting while still at sea and then by sun drying once back home. The Spanish meanwhile were introduced to the uses of salt cod at the same time by cooks in the South of France. 

Today, in both countries the strong briny tasting tender fish, remains a popular basis for appetizers and main courses.

 Salt Cod Fritters- Bolinhos de Bacalhau

Although they originated in Northern Portugal, these golden fritters are now served throughout the country.  Accompany these with Piri- Piri ( Hot Sauce) or a few lemon wedges.

Here is the recipe, I call this a 3 part recipe.

 Here are the ingredients:

½ lb of boneless salt cod, soaked – see note below

2-4 potatoes boiled

2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil

1 small yellow onion minced

2 cloves of garlic finely minced

2 eggs lightly beaten

3 tablespoons of fresh parsley  Italian)

3 tablespoons of fresh cilantro (fresh coriander)

Pinch of cayenne pepper

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Milk if needed

Olive oil or vegetable oil for deep-frying

For this dish to come out right you must first soak the cod-fish to rehydrated it for at least 3 days before using.  In a bowl with cold water, then put the cod-fish, the following day remove the water, refill the bowl with cold water and add the fish, the following day you would do the same.

The soaking time will depend upon how heavily salted and how thick the cod is.  When the fish is ready it will be puffy and lighter in color.  Drain and go ahead as directed for your recipes.  When purchasing cod for this recipe or any other cod recipe I may post, look for filleted salt cod.

Some supermarkets that does carry boneless salt cod is Shoprite, Acme, and Pathmark.

Step One

Drain the Cod fish and place in a saucepan with water to cover.  Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until tender. Which should be about 10-20 minutes, Drain, and, when cool enough to handle, flake the cod, removing any bits of skin and small bones.  Pulse in a food processor until finely shredded, then place in a bowl.

Part 2 of step One

Combine the potatoes with water in another saucepan, bring to a boil and boil until potatoes are tender, which should be about 20-30 minutes.  Drain and when slightly cooled, peel and mash until smooth, then add to the salt cod.

Step Two

In a small sauté pan over medium heat, warm the oil.  Add the onion and sauté until tender, about 8 minutes.  Add the garlic and sauté for 2 minutes. Then add those contents into the bowl that has the cod and the mashed potatoes.

Fold in the eggs lightly beaten, parsley, and cilantro.  Season with cayenne pepper and black pepper. The mixture should be the consistency of firm mashed potatoes.  If it is to stiff, beat in to it a little milk.

Part Three

There are variations to this step, so I am going to give you both.

  1. Form  mixture into small balls
  2. Take two tablespoons and put some of the mixture and use the spoons to form small football shapes

Part Three

Final step

In a deep heavy frying pan, pour in oil to a depth of 2 inches ( 5cm) and heat to 375 degrees F. (190 degrees C) add the balls or football shapes a few at a time and fry until golden, about 4 minutes.  Using a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain.

You can serve them at once or wait till they cool off

Don’t forget the hot sauce.

Advertisement