BACCALA FRITTERS (COD FISH)

My mother makes these fritters on Christmas Eve, and she had to be careful with them, otherwise they would have gotten eaten before dinner was served by everyone who passed through the kitchen. 

One huge tip - and this is important.  My sister usually bought the ingredients for these fritters for my mother, and it never fails: every year she bought the wrong olives. That’s right, she bought the olives with the pits (since I have two sisters you can figure out who bought the wrong olives). How hard is it to buy the right olives without pits?

Please do not make the same mistake. You could lose a tooth biting into one of those olives with the pits.  We all used to laugh because she bought the wrong olives every year.  I guess that is why my mother makes the fritters every year. If someone bought you the wrong olives every time, would you trust them to make the actual dish?  I think not…

BACCALA FRITTERS

INGREDIENTS

1 whole piece of dried salt cod
3 medium potatoes
3 cloves garlic
generous handful fresh parsley
1 bay leaf
1 egg
2 tablespoons plain flour
Olive oil
salt & pepper

One jar of pitted green olives stuffed with pimento

• DIRECTIONS 
• A day before you plan to make this dish, place the salt cod into a large dish and cover with water. Place the lid on and put in the fridge for 24 hours changing the water three or four times.  Make sure to soak the cod for at least 24 hours or your fritters will be salty
• When the cod has been soaked long enough, drain and cut into 3 or 4 large pieces. After cutting the fish into smaller pieces, remove the skin and flake the cod with your hands, making sure to remove the bones.
• Meanwhile peel and chop the potatoes and cook in fast boiling water for about 10 minutes until just tender. When the potatoes are done, drain and place back on the heat for a minute or so to dry out and then mash well.  Let the potatoes cool.
• Peel and crush the garlic, finely chop the parsley, and mix with the mashed potatoes. Take the potatoes off the heat.
• Mix the fish with the mashed potatoes, add the egg and season the mixture with salt and pepper. Be careful not to over salt because the cod fish is already salty.
• While you are doing this, heat your olives in a large skillet on the stove.
• Scoop out a little of the mixture using a spoon and make into balls. When the balls are made add a green olive to the center of the mixture and slightly flatten the fritter out.
• Then drop them into the hot oil, about 5 or 6 at a time, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until golden brown. Drain on kitchen towel and make sure to salt them when they come out of the oil. Repeat with the rest of the mixture.