Pastel de Bacalhau

Pastéis de Bacalhau (Portuguese Salt Cod Croquettes)

A beloved Portuguese street food: salt cod and potato are bound into patties and fried until deeply golden and crisp outside, tender and fragrant within. Eat them hot, with rice and a salad, or cold the next day.

Prep

30 min

Cook

25 min

Total

55 min

Serves

4 (makes about 20 croquettes)

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •500 g (1 lb 2 oz) salt cod (bacalhau), dried, salted cod; requires 24–36 hr soaking
• •750 g (1½ lb) floury potatoes, e.g. Russet or Maris Piper; peeled and quartered
• •1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
• •2 cloves garlic, minced (optional but traditional in many regions)
• •30 ml (2 Tbsp) olive oil, plus more if needed
• •15 g (¾ oz) flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• •2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• •2 g (½ tsp) freshly ground black pepper
• •1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg, optional, traditional in many homes
• •1 liter (4 cups) neutral frying oil, e.g. sunflower or peanut; a home kitchen substitutes for the traditional olive oil fry
• •fine sea salt, to taste, salt cod is salty; taste the mixture before adding
• •1 piece bay leaf, for simmering the cod (optional)

Steps

1. 1 Soak the salt cod: place 500 g dried salt cod in a large bowl of cold water, skin side up. Refrigerate and change the water 3–4 times over 24–36 hours until the cod smells mild and the flesh feels pliable. Skipping or shortening this step will leave the croquettes too salty.
2. 2 Drain the soaked cod and place it in a saucepan covered with fresh cold water, with the bay leaf if using. Bring just to a simmer over medium heat (do not boil hard or the cod will toughen). Simmer 8–10 minutes until the flesh flakes easily and reaches an internal temperature of 63 °C / 145 °F. Drain and cool.
3. 3 While the cod cooks, simmer the potatoes in salted water until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain well and return to the hot pot for 1 minute to drive off moisture; then mash until smooth with no lumps.
4. 4 Heat 30 ml olive oil in a small pan over medium-low. Cook the chopped onion (and garlic, if using) with a pinch of salt until soft and translucent but not browned, 6–8 minutes. Cool slightly.
5. 5 Flake the cooled cod finely with your fingers, checking carefully for and removing any bones. The texture should be loose, not pasty.
6. 6 In a large bowl, combine the warm mashed potato, flaked cod, sautéed onion, parsley, pepper and nutmeg. Mix gently but thoroughly. Taste a small pinch; only add salt if genuinely needed (the cod usually seasons the mixture).
7. 7 Add the beaten eggs to the mixture and stir just until incorporated. The mix should hold its shape when pressed; if very wet, let it rest 10 minutes, or if too stiff, add another lightly beaten egg.
8. 8 Heat 1 liter of oil in a deep heavy pot to 170–175 °C / 340–350 °F (a 2 cm / ¾ in cube of bread should turn golden in about 60 seconds). Traditional pastelarias fry in olive oil; a home kitchen typically uses sunflower or peanut for the higher smoke point.
9. 9 Using two soupspoons, shape each croquette into a neat oval (about 50 g / 1¾ oz), smoothing the edges between the spoons. Rest the shaped croquettes on a tray for 5–10 minutes so they set and hold together in the oil.
10. 10 Fry 4–6 croquettes at a time, keeping the oil at 170–175 °C, turning once, for 3–4 minutes total until deep golden brown all over. The center should reach 70 °C / 160 °F — they are ready when crisp outside and just heated through inside. Drain on a wire rack (not paper towels, which soften the crust).
11. 11 Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature, with lemon wedges and a simple green salad or rice, as is customary in Portugal.