People make salt cod fritters all over the world, varying the recipe to suit their tastes. I have been serving them to friends as long as I can remember. I almost always flavor mine with ginger, chili, and cilantro, but I’ve tried many different batters. For a while, I made a simple flour/seltzer batter lightened with beaten egg white. These days my go-to is inspired by Indian pakoras and uses a combination of chickpea flour and cornstarch in place of all-purpose wheat flour. They are light and crisp and addicting.
Makes about 16
• A little over a ½ pound salt cod, soaked, poached, and flaked (for directions, see below)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 inch ginger, minced (amount equal to garlic)
• 1 Thai or serrano chili, minced
• 2 teaspoons minced scallion whites
• 1½ teaspoons minced cilantro stems
• Juice of ½ a lemon
• 1 egg
• 1½ teaspoons vegetable oil (use peanut oil for flavor), plus additional for frying
• 6 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1½ tablespoons chickpea flour
• Pinch of cayenne
• 1½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
1. Combine the flaked cod, garlic, ginger, chilies, scallions, cilantro, and lemon juice and marinate in the refrigerator for several hours.
2. An hour or so before serving, beat the egg with the oil in a measuring cup. In a bowl, mix the cornstarch with the chickpea flour, cayenne, baking powder, and salt with a fork. Stir in the egg mixture, adding 2 teaspoons of water. Stir and add enough additional water, a little at a time, until the mixture is the texture of pancake batter. Allow the batter to rest for at least 30 minutes. Combine the fish mixture and batter.
3. Heat about 3 inches of oil in a saucepan over medium heat. When a droplet of water sizzles and splatters, begin frying the fritters. Using a tablespoon, drop batter into the oil, making just a few fritters at a time, taking care not to crowd the pan. Cook until the first sides are golden, about 3 minutes, then flip the fritters and fry the second sides until they, too, are golden and crisp. Check after 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fritters to a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Lightly salt them and repeat, frying the rest of the batter in small batches. These are best warm but are still quite good at room temperature.
Preparing Salt Cod
Store fish in the refrigerator as it will keep a very long time. It is best to allow 48 hours to soak the fish to rehydrate it before using. Cover it with cold water and refrigerate, changing the water several times.
I usually very gently poach it. Place rehydrated fish in a deep pan, cover with cold water, then heat over low, never allowing the water to reach a simmer. Poach the fish until it softens and is flake-able. Expect this to take about 20 minutes. If the fish is still tough, cover the pan, remove it from the stove, and allow the fish to continue cooking in the cooling water. Once poached, the fish can be used in any of the recipes here or held in the refrigerator for 3 days.
