Pasteis De Bacalhau – Salt Cod Fritters, Chorizo Emulsion

I realise that my recent posts have been pretty ‘small bite’ heavy. I think it’s subliminally to do with the sheer volume of adverts pushing seasonal canapés. I thought I’d throw one  more into the ring. These salt cod fritters are really simple, totally irresistible and a little more sophisticated than the supermarket alternatives.

I’ve taken a classic brandade recipe from college and used it to create a Portuguese classic.  I have paired them with a not so typical chorizo emulsion, which might sound a bit off the wall, but is crazy delicious and like most things on this blog, pretty simple. The coupling should super familiar to most as it replicates the classic Mediterranean combination of cod and chorizo.

Depending on how portion them, this Bacalhau recipe will yield 8 – 16. I quenelle mine with two tablespoons, so I only get 8.

Equipment; High sided saucepan or deep fat fryer, round bottom bowls, blender, sieve, 2 tablespoons, measuring jug.

Bacalhau;

250 g fresh cod or salt cod

60 ml double cream

3 g  flat leaf parsley

80 g floury potato

1 egg, beaten

50 g shallot, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 bay leaf

2 thyme sprigs

salt

pepper

oil for deep frying

Chorizo Emulsion;

220 g chorizo

150 g water

130 g sunflower oil

2 egg yolks

3 ml red wine vinegar

paprika (optional)

Bacalhau;

1. If you have purchased salt cod and are going down the more traditional route, your prep will begin roughly 24 hours before you want to begin cooking. Your first job will be to wash the salt cod under cold running water to wash off any salt crystals.
2. Once rinsed place the salt cod in a bowl of cold water, cover and leave in the fridge for 24 hours changing the water every 6 – 8 hours.
3. When ready to cook, place the salt cod in a pan, cover with water, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes.

If you don’t have the patience  for the above (I often fall in to this category)…….

1. Take your fresh cod and pat dry. Liberally sprinkle with rock salt and leave refrigerated for 30 minutes. – NB – As well as drawing excess moisture from the cod, giving a slightly firmer texture the rock salt cure will season the fish.
2. After 30 minutes, rinse under cold water to remove excess salt.
3. When ready to cook, place the salt cod in a pan, cover with water, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the water, allow to cool slightly before removing the skin and any excess bones. Flake the cod.
4. Peel and cut the potato into uniform chunks, place in a pan of cold water, season and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 – 15 minutes, or until fork tender. Drain an mash right away.
5. Gently heat the cream in a saucepan with the thyme and bay leaf. Leave to infuse. Once cool remove the bay and thyme.
6. In a round bottom bowl, place the cooked cod, 80 g of mashed potato, onion, garlic, parsley and cream. Stir with a fork to combine. Taste and season as necessary before stirring in the beaten egg. – NB – The mixture should not be wet.
7. In a deep pan or deep fat fryer heat the oil to 175 celsius.
8. Take 2 spoons and use them to shape the brandade into a quenelle. – NB – To quenelle, take a scoop of the mixture in one spoon, then gently turn the mixture alternating between both spoons to get a smooth, uniform oval shape (like a mini rugby ball)
9. Place the mixture in to the hot oil and fry for 2 – 3 minutes, or until they are a deep golden brown. The mixture should hold together perfectly. If it falls apart add a little more potato.
10. Cook in small batches and drain on kitchen paper. Serve whilst warm with the chorizo emulsion.

Chorizo Emulsion;

1. Remove the skin of the chorizo and finely dice. Place in a pan and gently render over a low heat for 15 minutes.
2. Transfer the chorizo to a blender, reserving the fat. Add the water to the blender and blitz smooth. Slowly add the remaining fat  and then the oil to emulsify.
3. Strain through a sieve in to a measuring jug to remove any bits.
4. Place the yolks and the vinegar in the blender and blitz. Slowly add the strained mixture to thicken the emulsification, much like making mayonnaise.
5. Place in a serving ramekin and sprinkle with paprika.