‘Salgadinho’ roughly translates as a snack or appetiser, but in Brazil they are particularly associated with celebration, and are also eaten as bar food in a similar way to Spanish tapas. Here we share the recipe for one of our favourite Brazilian salgadinhos, the delicious bolinho de bacalhau.
- Prep: 30 minutes
- Cook: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Total time: 2 hours
- Recipe serves: 10
Ingredients
- 500g dried salt cod
- 1 small onion, sliced
- 500 ml (2 cups) cooled mashed potato
- 2 beaten eggs
- 4 peppercorns
- 4 egg yolks
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tbsp finely chopped parsley
- Vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- Place salt cod in a bowl of cold water to soak and soften. For best results, leave in refrigerator overnight (change water two or three times if possible).
- Drain the cod and remove any skin or bones before cutting into small chunks.
- Half-fill a saucepan with water and add the peppercorns, bay leaf and onion. Bring to boil, then allow to simmer for 5 minutes. Add the cod and 2 cups of cold water, then return to a simmer for 15 minutes.
- Remove from heat and allow to cool before draining the cod, discarding the seasoning and onion. Flake the cod using a fork into a large bowl.
- Stir in the mashed potato, eggs and parsley. Let the mixture stand for around half an hour, then form it into small balls.
- Deep-fry the balls in batches for around 5 minutes or until golden, either using a deep fryer or in shallow oil in a frying pan (use enough oil to at least partially submerge them), and drain on paper towels.
- Serve hot – preferably alongside a cold beer!