Bacalaítos
- Level: Easy
- Yield: About 12 bacalaítos
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 14 servings
- Calories
- 220
- Total Fat
- 9
- Saturated Fat
- 1
- Carbohydrates
- 12
- Dietary Fiber
- 1
- Sugar
- 0
- Protein
- 22
- Cholesterol
- 49
- Sodium
- 2330
- Total: 8 hr 50 min
- Active: 40 min
Ingredients
1 pound boneless bacalao (also sold as salt cod or salted pollock)
3 large cloves garlic, grated
1/2 small red onion, finely diced
1/3 cup roasted red peppers, drained and finely diced
1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Grapeseed or canola oil, for frying
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
Directions
- Prepare the fish: Rinse the salt cod under cold running water for 1 minute to remove any loose salt, then place in a large bowl or container and submerge completely in cold water. Cover and let soak in the refrigerator 8 hours or overnight.
- After soaking, drain, rinse again under cold running water then place in a large pot and cover with water. Boil for 20 minutes. Drain, place in a large mixing bowl and use two forks to shred the fish.
- Add the garlic, onions, red peppers, cilantro, oregano, cumin and 1 teaspoon pepper. Toss until evenly combined. Taste the mixture and adjust seasoning with salt if needed (as salt cod brands vary, some may retain more salt after soaking than others; be sure to taste until the mixture is pleasantly salty).
- Pour 1 inch of oil into a heavy-bottomed skillet or Dutch oven and set over high heat until the oil shimmers and a deep-fry thermometer reaches 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or paper towels and top with a wire cooling rack if desired.
- While the oil heats, add the flour and baking powder to the cod mixture and stir until evenly combined. Add water, about 1/2 cup at a time, until the batter resembles a pancake batter (usually about 1 1/2 to 2 cups total).
- Working in batches, spoon about 1/3 cup batter into the hot oil, spreading it out as you pour to create a 3- to 4-inch round disk. Repeat with 1 to 2 more scoops of batter per batch, leaving about 2 inches between each bacalaíto. Fry 2 minutes on one side, then use tongs to turn and fry until the fritters are cooked through and golden, about 1 minute more. Use tongs to transfer the bacalaítos to the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with rest of batter, adding more oil as needed. Serve immediately.