This recipe has been adapted from Savoring Spain and Portugal cookbook, by Williams Sonoma. These are a traditional appetizer in Portugal and made in an oval shape, however, I prefer to make them round, similar to a mini-meatball.
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. boneless bacalhau
- 4 large organic potatoes, peeled
- 1 small onion, minced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 organic eggs, beaten
- handful of fresh parsley, chopped
- pinch of cayenne pepper and black pepper
Instructions:
- Soak bacalhau, over 2 days, refreshing the water twice a day, to remove excess salt.
- Cook bacalhau and potatoes over medium heat, for 20 minutes, until cooked. Remove from water.
- Mash potatoes and shred bacalhau, until very fine. I prefer using my hands (traditional) but you can also use a food processor.
- In saucepan, over low-medium heat, cover bottom of pan with olive oil and saute onion until softened. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for 3 minutes longer, being sure not to brown garlic. Add mixture to potatoes and bacalhau.
- Fold in eggs and parsley. Season with black pepper and cayenne pepper. Mix well. Mixture should be firm (similar to mashed poatoes) and able to hold its shape.
- Roll into mini-meatball size balls with palms of hands. This is very sticky and messy so it’s best to make six at a time and then wash hands before making the next batch. Deep fry in canola oil over medium-high heat, until golden brown.
- Serve at room temperature.
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