Bacalaitos Recipes

Steps:

• Soak codfish in cold water overnight in the refrigerator.(Change the water at least 3 times ~ have also heard that it is good when soaked in milk).
• Drain, rinse with cold water several times.
• In a saucepan, cover codfish with water, bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Cool, remove skin and bones.
• Shred the fish.
• In a bowl make a batter by whisking together the flour, baking powder, adobo and water.
• When smooth, mix in garlic, cilantro and shredded fish.
• Check for seasoning, if necessary add some more pepper or the adobo with pepper.
• In a skillet, heat 1/4" of oil on medium heat.
• Drop the batter by spoonsful into hot oil and cook until golden brown.
• Drain on paper towel.
• Enjoy!

Steps:

• Soak the dried salted cod in cold water for 24 hours, changing the water several times.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the soaked cod, and boil for about 5 minutes, or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Remove cod from water, and save water for cooking potatoes. Remove skin and bones from the cod, and flake the meat into pieces using a fork. Set fish aside in a large bowl.
• In a small bowl, stir together the olive oil, 1 clove of garlic, 1 tablespoon of parsley, red pepper flakes, and black pepper. Pour over the fish, and toss lightly to coat.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place the potatoes into the fish water, and bring to a boil. Cook for 20 minutes, or until tender. Drain under cool water, peel and cut into 1/4 inch slices.
• While the potatoes are cooking, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, and saute until golden and caramelized. Stir one clove of garlic into the onions. Set aside.
• Layer half of the potato slices in the bottom of a greased 8x11 inch baking dish. Cover with half of the cod, then half of the onions. Repeat layers, ending with onion.
• Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until lightly browned. Before serving, garnish the top with green and black olives, and hard-cooked eggs. Sprinkle with remaining parsley.

Steps:

• 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.

Steps:

• Cut the cod fish in small chunks, place in a pot, cover with water and boil on high for 15 minutes.
• Drain, debone, wash and shred.
• In a bowl, combine flour, salt and baking powder.
• Make a little well in the center. Pour the water slowly and mix to make a thick like sauce.
• Add the pepper and sazón and stir well.
• In a mortar, crush the garlic and culantro leaves. Add to the mix.
• Add the shredded bacalao and mix well.
• In a frying pan, pre-heat the vegetable oil.
• Fry the bacalaitos on high heat by dropping big spoonfuls in hot oil.
• Turn as needed.
• Bacalaitos are done when they are golden.
• Drain in paper towels.

Steps:

• Combine the salt cod, onion, garlic, and pepper in a bowl and mix well with a wooden spoon. Add the flour and stir a few times, then beat in the eggs one at a time. Add about 1/2 cup water and stir until a batter forms-it should be a bit thicker than pancake batter, but not much-then stir in the parsley.
• Let the mixture rest while you put about 3 inches of oil in a deep saucepan and heat it over medium high to 350°F (a drop of the batter will sizzle energetically but not violently). Using a tablespoon, gently drop spoonfuls of the cod mixture into the oil and fry, turning once, until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Work in batches, taking care not to crowd the fritters.
• Drain on paper towels and serve with lime wedges or keep in a warm oven until ready to serve.
• Spanish Shrimp Fritters
• Substitute 1 pound shrimp, peeled, and ground, for the salt cod.
• Indian Shrimp Fritters
• Substitute 1 pound shrimp, peeled and ground, for the salt cod. Add 1 teaspoon ground cumin and 1 teaspoon ground turmeric to the shrimp, onion, garlic, and pepper mixture. Substitute 2 hot green chiles, stemmed, seeded, and minced, for the parsley.