Try these delicious saltfish fritters, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside with that flavorful cod taste. A perfect appetizer to enjoy with friends and family.
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In Panama, you can get salted cod in several local supermarkets. The part that takes a while is removing the salt from it.
You can review the guide on buying and preparing salted cod to include in other preparations.
Salt fish fritter is also called cod fish fritter, bacalao fritters or torrejas de bacalao in Spanish. They are prepared in several Caribbean countries like Jamaica and Trinidad with certain differences, but sure all are delicious.
⭐️Why this recipe works
- It’s easy to make, and you need a few ingredients, mix, and fry.
- It tastes delicious, and you can adjust the flavor a bit if you prefer. You can add spice or change the herbs.
- It’s quick to make once you have all the ingredients ready.
- It’s an excellent appetizer option to share with your friends.
📋 Ingredients for the recipe
To prepare this recipe, you will need:
- Desalted cod: main ingredient, desalted and shredded.
- Egg: it will help bind the other ingredients into the mixture.
- Onion: it can be the one you have on hand, yellow, white, or red.
- Culantro: if you can’t get it, you can replace it with more parsley or cilantro.
- Parsley: you can use Italian too.
- Curry: adds flavor and color.
- Baking powder
- All-purpose flour
- Water
- Oil for frying: you can use any oil specifically for frying, such as canola, avocado, peanut, or even vegetable oil. Make sure it has a high smoking point.
- Hot sauce: optional but recommended. You can also replace it with black pepper, finely chopped scotch bonnet, or habanero peppers.
You’ll have the complete measurement of each ingredient on the recipe card below.
As for utensils, we will use a mixing bowl, a spoon, a sifter or a fine mesh strainer, and a frying pan.
💡 Tip: When frying always use a splatter screen to avoid grease falling everywhere.
Now that we have all the ingredients and utensils let’s get started.
📝 How to prepare the recipe
1. Place the cod, onion, culantro, parsley, and curry powder in a bowl and mix.
2. Add the beaten egg and mix again.
3. Sift the flour with the baking powder to avoid having lumps. Mix and add water until you obtain a moist but thick batter.
If the mixture is too liquid, add more sifted flour and mix. One tablespoon at a time until desired texture is obtained.
Step 1- Step 2
- Step 3
- Step 3
💡 Tip: You can let the mixture rest so that the flavors integrate (15-30 minutes).
4. Add your frying oil to the pan and turn on medium heat.
💡Tip: How to know if the oil is hot? If you have a wooden spoon, place the handle into the oil, and if you see bubbles start to form around it, it’s ready to start frying.
5. Take a portion of the mixture and dip it directly into the pan with a spoon. Carefully insert the spoon with the batter into the hot oil, and the mixture will come off on its own.
Fry for 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until golden brown on both sides. Try to maintain the temperature so that it cooks evenly.
Do this in batches depending on the size of your pan, and avoid adding many at once because the temperature can drop, which will make them absorb more oil.
6. Remove from the pan and place on a paper towel to remove excess oil.
7. Serve immediately with your favorite dipping sauce or hot sauce.
✅ Recipe tips
Yes, you can prepare the batter in advance. This will let the flavors integrate better. Remember to store it in an airtight container.
Storage and reheating tips
Storage: You can store the mixture without frying it in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Reheat: You can heat them in the air fryer at 360 for 5 minutes. However, I recommend frying and eating them right away.
Serving Suggestions
Try these dipping sauces for codfish fritters:
- hot sauce
- tartar sauce
- avocado and cilantro sauce
- little raspberry jam for an exciting contrast
More Seafood Recipes
If you tried the salt fish fritters recipe or any other recipe on Nashi Food, don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! I love to hear about your cooking experience.
Saltfish Fritters (Torrejitas de Bacalao)
Ingredients
- 2 cups shredded saltfish or cod
- 1 egg, large
- ¼ onion, finely chopped or grated
- 4 leaves culantro , finely chopped
- 1 bunch parsley, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ cup flour
- ⅓ cup water
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup oil, for frying, it can be canola or any high smoke point oil.
- ¼ teaspoon hot sauce, optional
Utensils
- medium bowl
- Spoon
- sift
- Frying Pan
Instructions
- Add the cod, onion, culantro, parsley, and curry powder into a medium bowl and mix.2 cups shredded saltfish or cod, ¼ onion, 4 leaves culantro, 1 bunch parsley, 1 teaspoon curry powder
- Add the slightly beaten egg and mix with the ingredients. If you opted to add the hot sauce, mix it in here.1 egg, ¼ teaspoon hot sauce
- Sift the flour with the baking powder and the salt over the cod mixture and mix. Add water a little at a time until you get a moist but somewhat thick mixture. If it is very liquid, you will have to add more flour to compensate.2 teaspoons baking powder, ¾ cup flour, ⅓ cup water, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Add the oil for frying and let it heat up in the frying pan.1 cup oil
- Once hot, take a little of the fritter mixture with a metal spoon and place the spoon into the hot oil. The cod mixture will detach itself from the spoon. Let fry for 3-4 minutes on each side. Or until golden brown on both sides. Try not to make the oil hot because the fritter won't cook well inside.
- Remove from the pan and place on a paper towel to remove excess oil.
- Serve inmediately with avocado dressing, tartar sauce or raspberry jam.
Video
Notes
- Onion: it can be the one you have on hand, yellow, white, or red.
- Culantro: if you can’t get it, you can replace it with more parsley or cilantro.
- Parsley: you can use Italian too.
- Oil for frying: you can use any oil specifically for frying, such as canola, avocado, peanut, or even vegetable oil. Make sure it has a high smoking point.
- Hot sauce: optional but recommended. You can also replace it with black pepper, finely chopped scotch bonnet, or habanero peppers.
Molly Pisula
These look so delicious! I am drooling just reading through the recipe. 🙂
Tomás
Glorious torrejitas are glorious! <3