“Bolinho de bacalhau” is a traditional Portuguese recipe deeply rooted in Brazil. It is a very popular appetizer and is also great as a main dish to serve with rice and vegetables.
It is good practice to reserve the water in which the salt cod was boiled to cook the potatoes. The skinned and boned wet cooked salt cod weight is about the same as the dry salt cod weight.
Ingredients
• 500 g boiled salt cod skinned and boned
• 1 Kg potatoes
• 1 medium onion
• 1 garlic clove
• 3 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 egg white
• salt
• black pepper
Preparation method
- Cover the salt cod in cold water for 24 hours, refrigerated, changing the water every 6 hours.
- Boil water and blanch the salt cod on low heat for 10 to 15 minutes after the boil. Allow the cod to cool in the cooking water so that it does’nt dry out. Set aside the water and crumble the cod, removing skin and any bones.
- Put the peeled potatoes into the pan of reserved salt cod boiling water, bring to the boil and cook until tender.
- Pass the drained potatoes through a ricer and into a bowl.
- Sauté the onion and garlic finely chopped with a little olive oil. The traditional recipe uses raw onion, but it might impair the lightness.
- Mix the salt cod chopped very fine, the sautéed onion, parsley, black pepper, mashed potatoes and egg yolks, stirring well. The dough should be dry but soft and, if necessary, combine the egg white. Check the salt.
- Oil your hands and form balls or croquettes, or make quenelles using two spoons.
- Deep fry – a few at a time – in the hot oil, so as to not lower the temperature of the oil, until they are golden brown. To reach the right temperature put a toothpick into the oil and wait until small bubbles form. The croquettes may be rolled in all-purpose flour or bread crumbs, if preferred.
- Place them on paper towels to drain excess oil and serve immediately while still hot.
Posted on: 17 December 2011
I’m an architect. I was born in Brazil and my father was Italian.