If Portugal had a national snack, pastéis de bacalhau would win without a recount. These codfish fritters, crisp outside and fluffy inside, appear at every festa, every café counter and every family table.
The formula is beautifully balanced: salt cod for depth, mashed potato for lightness, onion and parsley for freshness, eggs to bind. Shaping them into their signature oval with two spoons is a small skill that makes you feel instantly more Portuguese.
Serve them warm as an appetizer, a snack, or a light meal with salad — or eat them at room temperature straight from the platter, which is how they usually disappear.
Pastéis de Bacalhau Recipe
What you need
Ingredients
- ½ pound salted cod
- 2 cups peeled and diced Yukon Gold potatoes
- ¼ cup finely chopped onion
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Vegetable oil, for frying
Cook along
Instructions
- Soak the salted cod in cold water for 24 hours, changing the water every 6 to 8 hours. Boil it in fresh water for 10 minutes, drain, and flake with a fork, discarding skin and bones.
- Boil the diced potatoes in salted water until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and mash until smooth.
- Combine the flaked cod, mashed potatoes, onion, parsley, eggs and pepper into a thick, slightly sticky dough.
- Shape tablespoons of the mixture into ovals (quenelles) using two spoons.
- Heat 2 inches of oil to 350°F and fry in batches until golden on all sides, 3 to 4 minutes per batch. Drain on paper towels.
- Serve warm, with a squeeze of lemon if you like.
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