In theory you can make these fritters from any cooked, flaked fish, but they are best with shredded, rehydrated bacalao. Once fried, these are great the next day, either fried again to reheat, or in a 350F toaster oven for about 20 minutes.
Prep time: PT60M
Cook time: PT30M
Rating
5 stars (10 reviews)
Keywords
cod, fritters
Ingredients
1/2 pound flaked, reconstituted salt cod
1 russet potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1/4 cup minced fresh herbs, (parsley, chives, basil, etc.)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon lard or butter
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
salt and black pepper to taste
Oil for frying
Categories
Appetizer
Snack
Cuisine
Spanish
Steps
Pulse the salt cod in a food processor until it is finely shredded. Boil the potato in salty water until it's tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and set the pot back on the stovetop to keep heating. Return the drained potatoes to the pot and let them steam for a minute or so; this prevents you from getting wet mashed potatoes. Mash them very well. Alternatively, run the cooked potatoes through a ricer or a food mill.
Saute the garlic in the lard or butter until it just barely begins to color, about 2 minutes. Let this cool a bit and add it to a large bowl with the salt cod and mashed potatoes. Add in the herbs and flour and mix well.
Once the mixture is cool, mix in the eggs and baking powder, and add salt and black pepper to taste. If tasting a mixture with raw eggs freaks you out, taste before you add them. Let this mixture chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to overnight.
Get at least 2 inches of oil hot in a heavy pot, or use a deep fryer. You want the oil about 350F. As the oil is heating, scoop out a tablespoon of the salt cod mixture and roll it into a ball. Line these balls up on a cutting board so you have them ready to go. Set a cooling rack on a baking sheet and set that in the oven. Set the oven to 225F.
Fry the fritters for about 3 minutes each, or until they are a pretty golden brown. Move them to the rack in the oven to keep cooking a bit. Once your last fritters are in the oven, wait 5 minutes before serving.
Nutitrion
Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 146 kcal
Carbohydrates: 10 g
Protein: 20 g
Fat: 3 g
Saturated Fat: 1 g
Cholesterol: 67 mg
Sodium: 2015 mg
Sugar: 1 g
Reviews
Kim Grady on 2026-07-18 (5 stars): Great recipe. I was curious about "salt cod," I've seen it used on my favorite cooking shows so I bought some from an online seafood monger. It looks like shoe leather! Reconstituting is essential, which your recipe doesn't go into. From other recipes I learned reconstituting can be in cold water for several hours (3 - 48 hours) or boiling. I felt like boiling would change the fish some how, so I chose the cold water soaking method for 6 hours. It worked, still a bit salty but in your mixture it was perfect. The little balls are sooooo tasty it's ridiculous, I deep fried them in my wok, the crust was perfect, they were creamy inside, and they were not greasy at all (it's all about consistent temperature), and I have to say, KATSUP is essential! I'm making another batch tonight. Thank you!
Fred C on 2024-05-30 (5 stars): I like a cook who uses lard! All I ate in Spain and Portugal at least once a day.
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Maria on 2024-01-31 (5 stars): Hi Hank. Thank you for your wonderful recipe! I made these and they turned out great! but I have lots left over. Can these be frozen and reheated when needed?
Sol on 2023-07-31 (5 stars): Oh dude. Just made this tonight with a remoulade for dipping. Perfect recipe.
