Codfish Fritters

Fish, Wings & Tings

Posted by Kitchen Press

About

These fritters use salt cod rather than fresh, and its texture helps make these little bites so light and ethereal they’ve been described as being 'like a high five from Jesus'. Do make the ginger and lime aioli to accompany them: you’ll want to drink it from the bowl it’s so good!

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You Will Need (17 things)

  • 350 g Salt Cod
  • 1 Large Onion
  • 1 Bunch Spring Onions
  • 1 –2 scotch bonnet or Habanero peppers
  • 375 g Self-Raising Flour
  • 1 ½ tsp Baking Powder
  • 1 tsp (heaped) Caster Sugar
  • 1 tsp Sea Salt
  • 750 ml Water
  • 1 l Vegetable Oil for frying

  • Ginger and Lime Aioli

  • 500 ml Mayonnaise
  • 5 cm Fresh Ginger , peeled
  • 1 Scotch bonnet Pepper
  • 50 g Caster Sugar
  • 25 ml –30ml White Vinegar
  • Juice of 1 Lime

Steps (6 steps, 45 minutes)

  1. 1

    Soak the salt cod overnight, changing the water at least once. Then drain the salt cod, place it in a dish and cover with boiling water from a kettle. Leave it for 15 minutes to rehydrate and cool. Strain the fish and set aside without flaking it. This keeps the fritters lighter.

  2. 2

    Peel and dice the onion. Finely chop the spring onions and the chilli peppers, leaving the seeds in if you like more of a kick, discarding them otherwise.

  3. 3

    In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, sugar and sea salt together and then stir in the salt cod, onions, peppers and spring onions. Gradually add the water, breaking up the fish as you go so you have no clumps. The consistency of the batter should be thick, but it should still slip through your fingers when held in your hands.

  4. 4

    Put the vegetable oil in a deep saucepan and heat to 75–80℃ or until a small piece of bread starts to fry as soon as you drop it in. Slightly wet your hands, take up a handful of the batter and simply pinch off small balls of the mix. Taking care not to burn yourself, drop the balls into the oil and fry for a few minutes until the fritters are golden brown and cooked in the middle. Using a slotted spoon, remove them from oil and drain on paper towels.

  5. 5

    Arrange five or six fritters on each plate and serve with the ginger and lime aioli.

    Stockists note: I buy the salt cod by the weight from Ilias' Fish.

  6. 6

    Ginger and Lime Aioli

    Makes 500ml

    This dipping sauce is sensational. It's fresh and tangy and just perfect with the codfish fritters. This dish was the first thing I ate at Fish, Wings & Tings and I just had to keep going back to work out what the flavours were....

    Put all the ingredients in a blender and blend until the mixture is smooth and well mixed. You want it to be a loose texture for dipping. Serve in small ramekins with the codfish fritters.