Frituras de bacalao are also known as salted cod fritters and they make the perfect Cuban appetizer. These cod fritters are best served hot and with an ice cold beverage.
Why you'll love these frituras de bacalao
- These are a great appetizer to serve a crowd.
- Great snack to serve during the holidays.
- Delicious treat that is dairy free.
What to serve with these saltfish cakes
I love serving these with a great dip or sauce. My go-to is my cilantro garlic lime sauce or my chimichurri aioli.
Ingredients needed for these codfish fritters
- Salted cod
- Flat Leaf Parsley
- Yellow Onions
- All Purpose Flour
- White Vinegar
- Mild Hot Sauce
- Baking Powder
- Large Egg
Instructions to make these fried cod fish cakes
Start by filling a medium sized mixing bowl with water and placing your salted cod into the water. Cover and allow to sit at room temperature for upto 2 hours.
After 2 hours drain the water from the bowl and replace the water. Cover and place in the refrigerator for 3 hours or overnight. This ensures as much salt as possible has been removed from the fish.
Drain the water from the salted cod and place the cod in a large saucepan with enough water to cover the fish. Place the saucepan on the stove over medium heat and allow the cod to simmer for 10 minutes.
Carefully, remove the codfish from the saucepan and allow to cool. Be sure to pick out any fish bones that might still be in the salted cod fillets any Reserve 1 cup of the broth from the saucepan.
In a large mixing bowl add your chopped parsley, onion, egg and cod fish. Stir gently, trying not to mix too vigorously so your fritters have some nice sized fish bites.
Add to the mixing bowl your flour, baking powder, hot sauce, white vinegar and reserved salted water. Fold the ingredients until well combined. Add additional salt to taste.
In a dutch oven add your canola oil and heat the oil to 300-350 degrees.
Once the oil has reached the right temperature, use a cookie scoop or ice cream scoop to scoop the fritters into the oil. Using a cookie scoop gives you uniform size fritters without getting your hands dirty.
After a minute or two of frying, flip the codfish cakes over in the oil and cook for another 2 minutes or so. Using a toothpick, pierce the center of the frituras to see if theyre fully cooked. If the toothpick comes out clean and the fritters are golden, the fritters are cooked through.
Place the cooked fritters on a paper towel lined plate to drain excess oil.
Serve them hot and enjoy.
Variations and Substitutions for these bacalao frituras
Can't find salted cod? You can use salted pollock instead.
Don't have curly leaf parsley? Use flay Parsley instead.
Don't want to deep fry these fritters? You can also air fry them.
Don't have corn oil? Use avocado oil, safflower oil or peanut oil. Any oil with a high smoke point will do.
Storage for these salt fish fritters
Place any leftover fried cod cakes into a airtight container and store in the refrigerator for upto 3 days. Warm them up in the oven or toaster oven for best results.
Check out these other appetizer recipes
Frituras de bacalao
Ingredients
- 12 oz package of salted cod
- 1 cup curly leaf parsley chopped
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 1 large egg
- 1 ½ cup All Purpose Flour
- 1 tablespoon mild hot sauce
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3 tablespoon white distilled vinegar
- 1 cup reserved cod broth
- Canola oil for frying
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Start by filling a medium sized mixing bowl with water and placing your salted cod into the water. Cover and allow to sit at room temperature for upto 2 hours.
- After 2 hours drain the water from the bowl and replace the water. Cover and place in the refrigerator for 3 hours or overnight. This ensures as much salt as possible has been removed from the fish.
- Drain the water from the salted cod and place the cod in a large saucepan with enough water to cover the fish. Place the saucepan on the stove over medium heat and allow the cod to simmer for 10 minutes.
- Carefully, remove the codfish from the saucepan and allow to cool. Be sure to remove any fish bones that remain in the fillets. Reserve 1 cup of the broth from the saucepan.
- In a large mixing bowl add your chopped parsley, onion and cod fish. Stir gently, try not to mix to vigorously so your fritters have some nice sized fish bites.
- Add to the mixing bowl your flour, baking powder, egg, hot sauce, white distilled vinegar and reserved salted water. Fold the ingredients until well combined. Add additional salt to taste.
- In a dutch oven add your canola oil and heat the oil to 300-350 degrees.
- Once the oil has reached the right temperature, use a cookie scoop or ice cream scoop to scoop the fritters into the oil. Using a cookie scoop gives you uniform size fritters without getting your hands dirty.
- After a minute or two of frying, flip the codfish cakes over in the oil and cook for another 2 minutes or so. Using a toothpick, pierce the center of the frituras to see if theyre fully cooked. If the toothpick comes out clean and the fritters are golden, the fritters are cooked through.
- Place the cooked fritters on a paper towel lined plate to drain excess oil.
- Serve them hot and enjoy.
Tania Garcia says
They look delicious.