I bring you a dish I believe can easily become part of our new culinary culture: Codfish and Potato Fritters You should add it to the new Lent menu.
Why we ❤️ it
Codfish is a traditional ingredient in our Lent cuisine. The very beloved Bacalao con Papas (Codfish with Potatoes) is a staple hailing back from the days that the Catholic church proscribed meat-eating during Lent (and all Fridays).
Codfish (bacalao)
Salted and dried codfish is a remnant of our colonial days, brought here by European traders, and made popular by the fact that it was both inexpensive and highly durable --a plus in pre-refrigeration days.
Potato and codfish fritters.
"Salt cod formed a vital item of international commerce between the New World and the Old, and formed one leg of the so-called triangular trade. Thus it spread around the Atlantic and became a traditional ingredient not only in Northern European cuisine, but also in the Mediterranean, West African, Caribbean, and Brazilian cuisines." - Wikipedia
About this recipe
I had these codfish and potato fritters as lunch, served on a bed of shredded lettuce and a dressing made from yogurt and capers. Two or three of these will make a very satisfying meal, made more so because they are very easy and quick to make. They can also be served to accompany a much larger meal.
Try them, and you'll soon add this to your family repertoire too. Let's keep the world, and our culture, moving.
Video
Recipe
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[Recipe + Video] Codfish and Potato Fritters
Ingredients
For the dressing
- 1 cup unsweetened, low-fat yogurt yogurt
- 2 teaspoons capers
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon sugar (white, granulated)
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
For the fritters
- 9 ounces bacalao (salted codfish), [0.9 kg]
- ¾ pound waxy potatoes, [0.34 kg]
- 1 small red onion
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper (freshly-cracked, or ground)
- 1 egg (large)
- ¼ cup oil for frying
Instructions
For the dressing.
- Mix all the ingredients and let it rest in the fridge overnight.
For the fritters
- Rinse codfish with running water until all the superficial salt has been washed away. Shred codfish into small pieces and soak overnight in a gallon of water.
- Sieve to get rid of the water. Taste it to make sure it isn't still salty (if it is it need to be soaked in clean water for another two hours).
- Using two forks (or your very pretty hands) shred the codfish very finely.
- Peel and grate the potatoes using the coarsest side of the grater. Grate onion on the same side.
- Mix potato and codfish. Mix in onion, cilantro, salt, pepper and egg.
- Heat half the oil over medium-low heat in a large non-stick frying pan.
- Fry the codfish and potato mixture by forming small patties with two tablespoons of the patties, never more than 3 at a time. Once brown on the bottom side, flip carefully and cook until golden brown all over.
- When you've gone through half of the mixture, add the remaining oil to the pan and heat again. Continue with the process until there is no more mixture.
- Place on a plate covered with a paper towel to absorb excess oil.
- Serve on lettuce alongside the yogurt dressing.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is calculated automatically based on ingredients listed. Please consult your doctor if you need precise nutrition information.
Published Mar 23, 2014, revised
