Salted cod is expensive and difficult to get hold of, no matter where you find yourself but certainly worth it every time. Most countries in the Mediterranean have a host of regional recipes for this and the Portuguese have achieved world fame with their interpretations – Bacalhau and Bacalhoada are known all over the world but for today, we look at a Catalan recipe initially created by Colman Andrews but considerably adapted over time to be enjoyed with ice cold beer, wine or soda wherever you may find yourself this weekend and they are just as good cold with crunchy raw veggies for a healthy twist.

Ingredients

• 500 g dried salt cod fillets
• 2 medium floury potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced – about 400 g
• 50 g flour
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 3  medium organic eggs
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 fresh bay leaf
• 1 tsp grated lemon zest
• 1 hot red chilli, finely chopped – seeds removed for sensitive palates
• 1 tsp cardamom seeds, removed from the green pods and lightly bashed
• 1 tbsp Italian parsley, finely chopped
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method

• Rinse all the excess salt off the cod & put in a bowl of cold water to soak for 36 – 48 hours in the fridge, remember to change the water a few times per day.
• If it’s still to salty after this period, soak a little more & taste to check when it is to your taste.
• When you are ready to cook the fish, cut the cod into cubes & place in a pot of water with the bay leaf, cover with fresh cold water & allow to heat until just below boiling point – remove from the stove and allow to stand for 10 minuts.
• Remove the fish from the water & set aside to cool without discarding any of the ater.
• Remove the skin and any bones and flake the fish with a fork.
• Put the potatoes into the pot of reserved cooking water, bring to the boil and cook the potatoes for 10 – 15 minutes until they are soft, drain well.
• In another pot, bring 300 ml water and 2 tbsp olive oil to the boil, then remove from the heat and slowly whisk in the flour to form a batter.
• Leave to cool slightly and then whisk in the eggs, one at a time.
• Mash the potatoes well in a large bowl & then mix in the fish, the garlic, all the spices, the chilli, the lemon zest and the parsley.
• Add the salt and the freshly ground black pepper to taste, be mindful of the salt.
• Mix the cod mixture into the batter and cook over a low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens and has the consistency of firm mashed potatoes and will hold it’s shape when formed into balls.
• Allow to cool slightly so that it can thicken a little more – you could even put it in the refrigerator if you like (if you don’t mind the fishy smell).
• Heat some oil for deep frying, form the salt cod mixture into approximately 20 small balls using a spoon and fry in batches – about 5 or 6 at a time – for 3 minutes or until it is a deep golden brown.
• Drain them on kitchen paper and serve very hot with a beer and, if you like, some of the dipping sauces below.

AIOLI

Ingredients

• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 egg yolk from a medium range organic egg
• 175 ml extra virgin olive oil
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method

• Make sure that all the ingredients are at room temperature before you start and look for a bowl that is heavy enough so that it won’t move across the counter while you are making the aioli – alternatively, use your food processor.
• Mix the garlic, the egg yolk, the lemon juice, the salt and the pepper in the mixing bowl with a hand mixer until the yolk thickens and becomes lighter.
• Start by adding the olive oil, drop by drop, mixing constantly with the hand mixer and when this is finished, check and correct the seasoning.
• Even if you use the food processor, you need to drip the oil in slowly and steadily.

CHILLI DIPPING SAUCE

Ingredients

• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 tbsp soya sauce
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 hot red chilli, finely chopped and seeds removed for sensitive palates
• 1 tsp fresh coriander, finely chopped
• 1 tsp grated lemon zest

Method

• Whisk everything together until well mixed.