Saltcod cakes are the best known Portuguese snacks. This traditionaldelicacy can be found from the simplest roadside café to the high-end restaurant, as here, sometimes fusioned with more contemporary ingredients. My grandmother used to cook them more when the weather was getting warmer, from Spring onwards. I loved seeing her chopping the parsley, mashing the potatoes, shredding the cod and assembling everything with an egg in a cream coloured china bowl. Then, with two metal spoons she would shape the dough into almond shaped cakes and fry them in an old black iron pan full of bubbling oil. She would serve them with black eye bean salad or a red kidney bean rice or as a party snack for our delight. Enjoy this staple of the Portuguese cuisine!
Saltcod cakes with a chilli dip
Ingredients
250g of shredded saltcod (de-salted)
250g of peeled potatoes
1 tablespoon of flour
1 egg
1 small chopped onion
1 small bunch of parsley
salt & pepper
vegetable oil
chilli sauce
Preparation
In two separate pans, boil the potatoes and the cod. Drain the two and set aside.
Place the potatoes in a bowl and mash them well. Add the cod, the chopped parsley, the chopped onion, the flour and the egg. Mix everything very well and season with salt & pepper. With two metal spoons shape the dough into individual cakes so that they take the shape of the spoon.
Place a pan with the vegetable oil onto a medium heat and fry the saltcod cakes till they are golden on each side. Place them on a tray with kitchen paper and serve warm with a chilli dip.