Salt Cod Fritters

It was such a relief to cross this off my to-do list!

I didn’t know, but apparently it’s traditional to eat salt cod at this time of year!

I have tried it once before in ackee and salt fish, but that was quite a lot for me to get my head around in terms of new flavours and textures.

This recipe is more suitable for first time salt cod tasters, as the spotlight is on that one main ingredient. And it’s sweet and it’s juicy and it’s deep-fried…

Makes 14 small fritters (enough for 3 as part of a main meal, or as a starter!)

• 250g skinless, boneless salt cod, soaked for at least 2 hours or overnight, in several changes of water
• 200g potatoes, peeled, cooked and mashed
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 4 tbsp milk
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley or thyme (or 1 tbsp dried)
• 3 eggs, separated
• lots of sunflower or vegetable oil, for frying

1. Drain the fish and flake it finely. Add the potato, vinegar, milk, onion, herbs and egg yolks. Season with pepper if you like – you will not need salt! Mix well.
2. Whisk the egg whites to soft peaks and fold into the mixture.
3. Heat a saucepan 1/3 full of oil until a small piece of bread sizzles and browns in 1 minute.
4. Use a tablespoon to scoop up the salt cod mixture and gently place in the oil, taking care not to overcrowd the pan. Fry until brown all over (about 5 minutes for each fritter). Drain on kitchen paper.

I served mine with sweet potato chips with harissa. I chop one large sweet potato into chips without peeling, then add them to a baking tray with a good drizzle of olive oil, 1 or 2 teaspoons of harissa paste and a sprinkling of salt, mixing it all together well so everything is coated nicely. I add harissa more often than not when making sweet potato chips, as it imparts a great flavour and it’s a great way to use it up! I bought a small jar of it months ago for mackerel, and since them I haven’t had a proper use for it, so it’s job has been to aid the above process. Bake in an oven set to 200°c for 30-40 minutes, until tender and slightly browned.