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Bacalaítos (Salt Cod Fritters)

Big, thin, crispy salt cod fritters with garlic and culantro, a favorite at every beach kiosk in Puerto Rico.

By Wanda Oyola 45 min Easy

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Recipe in testing: I'm cooking it in my TM7™ and will update the steps and the photo with my own.

A stack of thin, crispy golden salt cod fritters with flakes of cod and herbs, on parchment with lime wedges.

Bacalaítos are the thin, wide, crunchy fritters you find at beach kiosks and town festivals all over Puerto Rico, often as big as the plate. The batter is simple: flour, water and baking powder, full of flakes of salt cod, garlic and culantro, fried until the edges turn lacy and golden.

Plan ahead, because the salt cod needs to soak overnight to lose most of its salt. Then the Thermomix® TM7™ chops the garlic and herbs and mixes the batter in seconds, and the stove does the frying. Spread the batter thin in the hot oil: that is the secret to the crisp, lacy edges.

Made in the Thermomix® TM7™

Bacalaítos (Salt Cod Fritters)

Makes: About 14 bacalaítos

  • Prep20 min
  • Cook25 min
  • Total45 min
  • Serves6

Ingredients

To serve

Instructions

  1. The day before, rinse the salt cod, place it in a bowl with plenty of cold water and refrigerate 12 to 24 hours, changing the water 3 or 4 times.
  2. Drain the cod and taste a small piece: it should be lightly salty, not harsh. Remove any skin or bones and flake it finely with your fingers.
  3. Place the garlic, culantro and ají dulce (if using) in the mixing bowl and chop 5 sec/speed 7. Scrape down the sides.
  4. Add the flour, baking powder, sazón, pepper and water and mix 15 sec/speed 4, until smooth. The batter should be thin and pour easily from a spoon.
  5. Add the flaked cod and mix 10 sec/reverse/speed 3. Taste a little batter and add salt only if it needs it. Let it rest 10 minutes.
  6. In a large, deep skillet on the stove, heat 2 cm (3/4 in) of oil to 180°C (360°F). Pour 60 g batter (1/4 cup) into the oil and spread it right away with the back of the spoon into a thin round. Fry 2 or 3 at a time, 2 to 3 minutes per side, until golden and crisp.
  7. Drain on paper towels and serve hot with lime wedges.

Tips

  • Short on time? Cover the cod with water in a pot on the stove, boil 15 minutes, drain and repeat once with fresh water. Taste a piece to check the salt.
  • If the bacalaítos come out thick and soft, thin the batter with a little more water. If they fall apart in the oil, stir in 1 tbsp flour.
  • Add a few drops of pique to the batter if you like a little heat.
  • They are best straight from the oil. To keep a batch crisp, place them on a rack in the oven at its lowest setting while you fry the rest.

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