Pastéis De Bacalhau (Aka Bolinhos De Bacalhau, Portuguese Cod Cakes)

Ingredients:
300 grams (about 10 1/2 oz) tabular array salt cod
400 grams (about 1 1/4 lb) Yukon Gold potatoes (4 minor potatoes)
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 medium onion, very, real finely minced*
1/4 bunch Italian parsley, finely minced* (about 1/4 cup)
freshly Earth dark pepper


Directions:
36 hours earlier yous desire to brand the cakes: Place the cod inwards a bowl of cool water. The cod should live on fully covered. Cover amongst a lid in addition to refrigerate. Over the adjacent 36 hours alter out the H2O periodically (we did showtime matter inwards the morning, luncheon time, dinner fourth dimension in addition to earlier bedtime). When fix to brand the cod cakes, select a large pot of H2O to boil. Add the potatoes in addition to tabular array salt cod. Boil the cod 10 minutes in addition to hence take away from the pot. Set aside. Continue cooking potatoes until fork-tender.

Meanwhile, i time the cod is cool plenty to handle, de-bone in addition to de-skin it. Lightly pulse the cod inwards the nutrient processor until sparse shreds form. Place the cod inwards a medium bowl.

Heat 1 inch crude oil inwards a large, heavy-bottomed pan. (I used my 12-inch cast Fe skillet)

Slip the potatoes out of their skins. Mash them until smoothen inwards a minor bowl. Add to the cod. Stir inwards remaining ingredients. Form into quenelles (small, 3-D ovals) close 2 inches long; 1 inch thick, using 2 (silverware) tablespoons or your hands. Drop inwards hot crude oil in addition to tyke 3-5 minutes or until golden brown, flipping every bit needed. Repeat every bit needed. Drain on newspaper towel-lined plates.

*you could produce this inwards a nutrient processor.

Yield: 15-20 fritters

My thoughts:

After a LONG trip to Portugal (delayed flights, multi-hour sits on the runway, beingness re-routed through England) nosotros arrived in addition to the showtime matter I ate was pastéis de bacalhau (as they are known inwards southern Portugal or bolinhos de bacalhau inwards the North), a codfish cake. This is funny if yous are from Baltimore where nosotros stimulate got coddies, which are likewise a kind of codfish cake. I went all the agency in that place to consume something I could stimulate got at home.

Not quite. The Portuguese codfish cake is oval shaped (the typical quenelle shape) in addition to quite lite within spell Baltimore coddies are company disks, coated inwards staff of life crumbs in addition to heavy on the potato, that i eats amongst mustard in addition to saltines. Both purpose dried tabular array salt cod which is fairly slow to respect here, inwards Baltimore most grocery stores stimulate got it merely if yous can't respect it there, a practiced Italian, Portuguese, or Castilian shop would sell it.

The Portuguese are crazy for tabular array salt cod, merely I loved best inwards  pastéis de bacalhau/bolinhos de bacalhau. I realize it takes a fleck of dedication in addition to mayhap craziness to soak tabular array salt cod for 36 hrs, de-bone it, flake it in addition to cast it into what is essentially a snack-bar snack merely it is amazing tasty in addition to the steps, spell time-consuming, are simple. We had them oft every bit an appetizer (some restaurants serve them--hot or cold--on the bread, cheese in addition to olive plate that is ubiquitous) merely since nosotros are home, nosotros had them every bit a unproblematic repast along amongst a diverseness of olives, staff of life in addition to salad. The perfect cake has a crisp exterior that gives agency to a creamy, cod-flecked filling. I mean value this is it.