Saltfish Fritters

Ingredients

• ½ pound (250g) boneless salted cod (or any firm-fleshed white fish)
• 2 teaspoons (9.5g) baking powder
• 1 cup (120g) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon (2g) granulated garlic
• ½ teaspoon (1g) smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoon (2g) sugar
• ½ medium onion, (finely diced)
• ½ teaspoon (1g) scotch bonnet pepper, (minced (or replace with 2g hot sauce))
• 3 tablespoons (8g) parsley, (minced)
• 1 teaspoon (1g) fresh thyme, (minced)
• 2 tablespoons (19g) bell pepper, (minced)
• 1 large egg
• ⅓-½ cup (80-120ml) milk (or water)
• freshly grated pepper to taste
• vegetable oil (for frying (about 3 cups))

Steps

1. 1

   Soak the saltfish in water overnight or for a few days (changing the water several times). Drain and shred fish using a food processor to achieve a really fine shred, or finely shred it by hand.

2. 2

   Combine the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, smoked paprika, granulated garlic, and sugar. Stir for about a minute, then add onions, shredded saltfish, thyme, red bell pepper, scotch bonnet, parsley, and egg.

3. 3

   Whisk until ingredients are well combined. Then, gradually add milk, starting from about ⅓ cup, until reaching the desired thickness.

4. 4

   Adjust seasonings, frying up a small piece to do a taste test if necessary.

5. 5

   Heat the oil to 350℉ (180℃) in a skillet or saucepan. You could also use the oil test by dropping a 1-inch square of bread into it. If it takes 60 seconds to brown, the oil is around 50℉ (180℃).

6. 6

   Carefully lower spoonfuls of the batter into the hot oil and fry for 3-4- minutes or until the fritters are crisp and golden brown. You may need to do this in batches.

7. 7

   Remove the cooked fritters from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside on a paper-towel-lined plate to remove excess oil.