Ingredients
Cod
- 500 gsalt cod, bacalhau, thick loin pieces
Potato
- 600 gfloury potatoes
Also
- 1onion, very finely chopped
- 3 clovesgarlic, crushed
- 1large bunch flat parsley, finely chopped
- 4eggs, separated
- white pepper
- a grating of nutmeg
- salt, only if needed
To fry
- oil, for deep frying
To serve
- lemon wedges
- black olives
- a tomato rice or salad
Directions
- Rinse the salt off the cod under cold running water, then put it in a large bowl of cold water, skin side up. Refrigerate it and change the water every 6 to 8 hours for 36 to 48 hours, depending on thickness.
- Taste a small flake after 24 hours. It should taste seasoned rather than salty. Drain it and, while it is still warm, remove all the skin and every bone. Shred it fine rather than flaking it coarse, because the texture of a good pastel is fibrous throughout.
- Boil the potatoes whole in their skins until soft, then peel and rice them while hot. Cook them in their skins so they stay dry, and rice rather than mash them so they stay light.
- Let the riced potato steam dry for 10 minutes. A wet mixture will not hold its shape in the oil and the pastéis fall apart. Mix the shredded cod, the riced potato, the finely chopped onion, garlic, parsley and the egg yolks.
- Season with white pepper and nutmeg, and taste before adding any salt at all. Whisk the egg whites to soft peaks and fold them through the mixture.
- Chill the mixture 30 minutes so it firms up enough to shape. Heat the oil to 180°C (355°F). Fry 3 to 4 minutes, turning once, until deep golden and puffed. Do not crowd the pan, which drops the temperature and makes them greasy.
- Drain on a rack and serve hot or warm with lemon. They are eaten hot as a snack, cold as picnic food, and as a starter with a glass of vinho verde.
Technique
- Salt cod loin is expensive and worth it, because thin cheap pieces give little usable flesh.
- They freeze well shaped and raw and fry from frozen.
- Some recipes add a little flour, which purists consider unnecessary.
Substitutions
- Fresh cod, salted at home for 24 hours, which is a reasonable approximation.
- Ready-desalted bacalhau, sold frozen.
Variations
- Bolinhos de bacalhau, the rounder Brazilian version.
- Filled with a cube of Serra da Estrela cheese, which is a Lisbon speciality.
- Baked rather than fried, which is lighter and less good.
History
Salt-cod-and-potato fritters that travelled with Portuguese emigration; in Brazil they are known as bolinhos de bacalhau.
Frequently asked questions
What is Pastéis de bacalhau?
Pastéis de bacalhau is a snack from Portugal: fried salt-cod and potato fritters. Salt-cod-and-potato fritters that travelled with Portuguese emigration; in Brazil they are known as bolinhos de bacalhau.
How long does Pastéis de bacalhau take to make?
Pastéis de bacalhau takes 30 min plus 36 hr desalting of preparation and 40 min of cooking. The recipe makes about 24. It is rated medium to make.
What can I substitute in Pastéis de bacalhau?
Yes, within limits. Fresh cod, salted at home for 24 hours, which is a reasonable approximation. Ready-desalted bacalhau, sold frozen.
What is the most important thing to get right in Pastéis de bacalhau?
Taste a small flake after 24 hours. It should taste seasoned rather than salty. Drain it and, while it is still warm, remove all the skin and every bone. Shred it fine rather than flaking it coarse, because the texture of a good pastel is fibrous throughout.
