Usually, I write about Italian food and recipes, but this time I decided to post a recipe that is very popular on my mother’s side of the family, which is Brazilian and Portuguese, as well as Italian.

This is a recipe made with salted cod, dried codfish which has been cured in salt. It is known as baccala in Italian, and bacalhau in Portuguese. You can usually find salted cod at any market. It is especially popular around Christmas and Lent.

Before you can use salted cod, *it needs to be soaked in water for at least two days*, changing the water frequently, to remove the salt. Also, fry the croquettes in vegetable oil and not olive oil because olive oil tends to smoke at a lower temperature than vegetable oil and will burn the croquettes very easily.

The codfish croquettes can be served as an appetizer or snack.

Ingredients (makes about 18 croquettes)

1 lb salted codfish
3 medium potatoes, boiled
1 T parsley, finely chopped
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 tsp salt, or according to taste
2 eggs
2 T flour, approximately
vegetable oil for frying

1. Soak the salted codfish in water for at least 2 days, changing the water every day, to reconstitute and remove most of the salt.
2. After it has been soaked, boil the codfish for about 20 minutes or until you see that it is easy to flake (I like to leave the flakes a little chunky).
   

   Boiled salted cod (baccala).

   

   Flaked boiled cod.

3. Mash the boiled potatoes with a fork or masher, then add the chopped onions, chopped parsley and salt, and mix well.
   

   Mashed potato mixture

4. Add the salted cod to the potato mixture and taste it to see if there is enough salt (adjust according to taste). Add the eggs and mix well. Slowly add the flour while mixing, just enough so that the mixture is not too sticky.
   

   Potato and salted cod mixture.

5. Shape the mixture into croquettes about 2 1/2 inches long, or balls, and fry in a deep fryer or pan with enough vegetable oil to cover the croquettes until golden brown.
   
   

   Salted Cod (Baccala) Croquettes, (also known as bolinho de bacalhau in Portuguese)

6. Serve hot along with lemon wedges, cocktail sauce or tartar sauce (or plain).

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