Brasilian Deep Fried Fish Fritters: Bolinos de Bacalhau

Ingredients

• These are my version of the traditional deep fried salt cod fritters – I've used fresh haddock but if you can get hold of salt cod lucky you! These are great to serve with drinks at a party.
• 2 pounds 3 ounces haddock fillets, skin on, scaled and pinboned
• 1/4 pint milk
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 pounds 3 ounces potatoes, peeled
• 1 big bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 1 handful fresh mint, finely chopped
• 2 lemons, zested
• 2 eggs
• 1 red chile, finely chopped
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 ounces plain all-purpose flour
• Sunflower oil, for deep-frying
• Lemons, to serve

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C.)

Cook the haddock with the milk and bay leaves, in a tray covered with foil, for 15 minutes.

Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water for about 15 minutes until soft. Drain them, then dry out in the pan on the heat and mash.

Flake the cooked fish into a large bowl, picking out any bones. Add the mashed potato, finely chopped parsley and mint, lemon zest, eggs, chile and salt and pepper. Mix well, taste. Add more salt, if necessary.

Flour your work surface, then take 1 tablespoon of the mix in your hands with a little flour and make into torpedo-shaped fritters, rolling in the flour. Rough and ready is good.

Pour enough oil into a large heavy-bottomed saucepan to fill the pan about a 1/3 of the way up. Heat over a medium heat until a deep frying thermometer inserted into the oil reaches 360 degrees F. (If you don't have a thermometer, a cube of bread will brown in about 3 minutes.) Deep-fry the fritters for about 5 minutes until brown and crispy. Drain on kitchen towel, sprinkle with sea salt and serve on a large plate with lots of lemon halves.