Bacalaitos - Puerto Rican Cod Fritters
User Reviews
5.0
12 reviews
Excellent
-
Prep Time
1 hr
-
Cook Time
mins
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Servings
12 servings
-
Calories
188 kcal
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Course
Appetizer
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Cuisine
Puerto Rican
Bacalaitos - Puerto Rican Cod Fritters
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A crispy and salty codfish fritter with Latin flavors. This is a classic Puerto Rican dish and is easy to make at home.
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Ingredients
- 1 lb salted cod or salted pollock
- 2 cups flour
- 2 cups water 1 cup reserved from simmering the fish
- 1 tsp baking powder optional
- 1.5 tsp sazón con culantro y achiote version
- ¼ tsp black pepper fresh ground
- 1 tsp oregano
- 2 tsp cilantro chopped fine
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ cup onion minced
- 1 tsp vinegar white
- oil for frying, you need about 1.5 inches of oil in your pan.
Instructions
Desalinating the fish
- Soak the salted fish in about 5 cups of water or enough to cover. Leave it soaking for 24 hours and change the water three times.
Cooking the fish
- Place the fish in a large skillet with 3 cup of water. Bring the water to a boil and then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Reserve one cup of water from simmering the fish to use in the batter. Remove the fish from the water and flake apart into small pieces.
Prepare the batter
- While the fish is cooking add the flour, pepper, sazón and oregano to a bowl and stir to combine. Add 1 tsp baking powder if you like a fluffy fritter.
- In a separate bowl combine the cooled fish, cilantro, onion, garlic and vinegar.
- Add 1 cup of the reserved water and another cup of water to the flour mixture. Whisk to combine thoroughly. I like a thicker batter that will form a ribbon on the surface when drizzled back from the whisk. Add 1 tablespoon of flour at a time until you get the consistency you like.
- Add the fish mixture to the batter and stir to combine.
Frying the bacalaitos
- Heat about 3 cups of oil to 350°F and add ⅓ cup of batter to the hot oil. Use a silicone ladle that holds ⅓ cup for best results. Fry for 3 minutes and then flip over.
- Once you flip over the bacalaito, fry another 3 minutes or until golden brown. Place on a cooling rack with paper towels underneath and allow the oil to drain.
Equipments used:
Notes
- Substitutions and Sauces:
- There are a few variations you can use the make bacalaitos depending on the flavor you want.
- Storage tips:
- Frying tip:
- The batter will sink to the bottom of the oil when you drop it into the pan. Be patient and don't move it around or flip it until you wait the 3 minutes. It needs time to get crispy on the bottom before you flip. Carefully get the tongs under the fritter and flip it over but don't lift it out of the oil. The top side will be very soft before flipping.
- Bell pepper - Add ⅓ cup of finely chopped red bell pepper for some added flavor and color.
- Non-Salted fish - If you are using fresh fish you can cook as shown in the recipe. Add 1 tsp of salt to the batter.
- Gluten free - You can swap out the all-purpose flour with a gluten free types sold at most stores. Cup for Cup is one brand or 1 for 1 from Bob's Red Mill is another.
- Mayo-Ketchup Sauce - This is a really popular dipping sauce from Puerto Rico aka pink sauce. This a simple mixture of 3 Tbsp Mayonnaise, 1 Tbsp ketchup and ½ tsp garlic powder. Feel free to add a dash of Worcestershire. So good!
- Cocktail Sauce - This is not just for cold shrimp but goes great with bacalaitos! Combine ½ cup of ketchup, 2 tablespoons of horseradish, 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice, a dash of Worcestershire, and optionally Tabasco to taste.
- Cooked bacalaitos - You can keep the bacalaitos in the oven on the warm setting (170°F) until you are ready to serve. These are best served fresh, the fresher the better for a nice crispy fritter. You can allow them to cool and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheated bacalaitos will not be as good as fresh. They will loose some of their crispness. You can reheat in the oven at 375°F for 10-15 minutes until hot in the center. You can also reheat in an air-fryer at 375°F for about 6 minutes. Avoid reheating in a microwave oven as they will be really soggy when reheated.
- Batter - The batter can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Note that if you are going to store the batter don't add the baking powder until you are ready to fry them. You cna freeze the batter for up to two months. Thaw it completely in the refrigerator and it may separate a bit so stir it thoroughly before frying and add in the baking powder.
Nutrition Information
Show Details
Calories
188kcal
(9%)
Carbohydrates
17g
(6%)
Protein
26g
(52%)
Fat
1g
(2%)
Saturated Fat
0.2g
(1%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
0.4g
Monounsaturated Fat
0.1g
Cholesterol
57mg
(19%)
Sodium
2705mg
(113%)
Potassium
584mg
(17%)
Fiber
1g
(4%)
Sugar
0.2g
(0%)
Vitamin A
57IU
(1%)
Vitamin C
2mg
(2%)
Calcium
69mg
(7%)
Iron
2mg
(11%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 12servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 188 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 188kcal | 9% |
| Carbohydrates | 17g | 6% |
| Protein | 26g | 52% |
| Fat | 1g | 2% |
| Saturated Fat | 0.2g | 1% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 0.4g | 2% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 0.1g | 1% |
| Cholesterol | 57mg | 19% |
| Sodium | 2705mg | 113% |
| Potassium | 584mg | 12% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 0.2g | 0% |
| Vitamin A | 57IU | 1% |
| Vitamin C | 2mg | 2% |
| Calcium | 69mg | 7% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5.0
12 reviews
Excellent
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