Caribbean Salt Cod Fritters Recipes

JAMAICAN CODFISH FRITTERS

Steps:

• Soak salt cod for at least 5 hours, or overnight, changing water several times, prior to cooking.
• Mix flour, garlic powder, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Add chili, scallions, tomato and stir in beaten egg. Add codfish and enough water to make the mixture kneadable. Knead ingredients and shape into 2-inch patties. Fry patties in a bit of oil in a skillet for 2 to 3 minutes until golden brown

JAMAICAN SALTFISH FRITTERS (STAMP AND GO)

Steps:

• Soak the cod in cold water overnight to rehydrate it and remove excess salt (or see Cook's Note).
• Remove any bones and skin. Flake and shred the fish into small pieces and set aside.
• Sift flour, baking powder, and pepper into a large bowl. Add the diced tomatoes, green onions, and flaked cod. Pour in 1/2 cup water and stir until everything is blended.
• Heat 1/4 inch of oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, drop rounded spoonfuls of batter into the skillet. Fry on each side until golden brown and crisp, about 5 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels and serve hot.

CARIBBEAN SALT COD FRITTERS

Steps:

• Soak the salt cod in water overnight. Drain, rinse well, place in saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover pan and simmer for 10 minutes. Drain, rinse under cold water and, when cool enough to handle, flake fish and set aside.
• Mix flour, baking powder, spices and salt together in a bowl. Make a well in the centre and pour in egg, milk and melted butter. Mix together to make a smooth batter. Stir in onion, chilli and flaked fish and mix well. Add more or less flour/milk as needed to make a typical fritter batter --flours vary due to changes in humidity.
• Heat about 1/2 inch of oil in large deep fryingpan until hot but not smoking. Drop tablespoons of the mixture into the oil, a few at a time, spaced well apart. Fry for 3-4 minutes, turning once or twice until golden brown.
• Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on absorbent paper. Keep warm in a 200 degree oven while frying the remaining fritters. Serve hot with your choice of dipping sauce (I like seafood cocktail sauce). Number of servings really depends on how big you make the fritters.
• These fritters freeze well and can be defrosted and reheated in a 375 degree oven till just hot.

SALT COD FRITTERS

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, bring the potato and enough water to cover to a boil. Reduce the heat and cook just until fork tender, about 12 minutes. Drain and transfer to a large bowl to cool for 10 minutes.
• With the back of a heavy fork, mash the potatoes until smooth but still slightly lumpy. Add the salt cod, green onions, parsley, 1 egg, the salt, and cayenne and mix until smooth.
• In a large, deep heavy pot or electric deep fryer, heat enough oil to come halfway up the sides to 350 degrees F.
• In a small bowl, combine the flour and 1 teaspoon of the Essence. In another bowl, beat together the remaining egg, the milk, and 1/4 teaspoon of the Essence, and in a third bowl, combine the breadcrumbs with the remaining 2 teaspoons Essence.
• Divide the cod mixture into 24 and form into balls, about 1 1/4-inches in diameter and 1 heaping tablespoon each.
• One at a time, dip the cod balls in the flour and roll to coat evenly on all sides. Shake to remove any excess flour, dip in the egg wash, and then roll in the seasoned breadcrumbs. Place on a baking sheet.
• In batches, gently add the balls to the oil and cook until golden brown on all sides, about 2 1/2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
• Serve immediately.
• Combine all ingredients thoroughly.
• Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch
• Published by William and Morrow, 1993.
• In a large glass or ceramic dish, lay the salt cod in a single layer. Add enough water to cover the fish by 1-inch, cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 6 hours.
• Drain the fish in a colander and rinse under cold running water. Place the fish on a work surface covered with paper towels and press each piece firmly with your hands. Pat the fish dry with paper towels and return to the soaking dish. Cover with fresh water, soaking and draining a total of three more times (for a total of 4 times in all).
• Place the rinsed and dried salt cod in an airtight container until ready to use, and refrigerate for up to 1 week.

SALT COD FRITTERS

Steps:

• Place the cod in a 3-quart saucepan. Pour in enough water to cover by at least three fingers. Bring the water to a boil over high heat. Adjust the heat to simmering and cook just until the cod starts to flake, from 5 to 12 minutes, depending on the size and shape of the piece(s) you are cooking. Drain the salt cod thoroughly and let stand until cool enough to work with.
• Meanwhile, put the bread in a small bowl and pour in enough cold water to cover. Let stand several minutes, until soaked through. While the bread is soaking, slip the pepper halves into the water with the cod. Simmer 2 minutes, fish them out, and let cool.
• Squeeze the excess water from the bread and place the squeezed bread in a mixing bowl. Pat the pepper dry and cut it into fine dice and add to the bread along with the eggs, pepper, parsley, and capers. Beat with a fork until the eggs and bread are thoroughly mixed. Flake the cooled salt cod into 1-inch pieces and stir into the egg mixture. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, about 30 minutes. At this point, test the consistency of the cod mixture. Roll a heaping tablespoon into a ball; the cod mixture should be firm enough to hold its shape. If not, add bread crumbs, about 1 teaspoon at a time, until it is firm enough.
• Make the batter
• In a separate mixing bowl, whisk the beer, egg yolks, and lemon zest until smooth. Add 1 3/4 cups of flour and whisk just until smooth. Let the batter stand at room temperature at least 15 minutes or up to 1 hour.
• Pour enough vegetable oil into a deep 12-inch skillet to fill it by 1 1/2 inches. Heat over medium heat until it registers 350° F on a deep-frying thermometer. Preheat the oven to "Warm" or to the lowest setting, and line a baking sheet with paper towels.
• While the oil is coming to temperature, form the fritters: Roll 1 tablespoon of the salt-cod mixture between your palms into an egg shape. Repeat until you have used up all the mixture. You should have about twenty-four fritters. Dredge the fritters in the additional flour to coat lightly on all sides, and drop them into the batter.
• With a wire skimmer, remove a few of the fritters at a time from the batter, allowing excess batter to drip back into the bowl. Slip the fritters into the oil. Add only as many fritters as will float freely in the oil. Don't overcrowd the pan or the oil temperature will drop significantly and the fritters will be soggy and oily. Fry, turning the fritters as necessary, until they are evenly golden brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. While the fritters are frying, adjust the heat as necessary to keep the temperature of the oil as close to 350° F as possible. Transfer the fritters with the skimmer to the prepared baking sheet. Keep them warm in the oven and repeat as necessary with the remaining fritters. Serve hot, with lemon slices, if you like.