Recipe(tried): Bacala tos Fritos - Codfish Fritters

(the perfect appetizer)

Bacala tos Fritos - Codfish Fritters
Bacala tos are a favorite Puerto Rican fried food, made especially for the munchies, though used as a side dish too. Once you try this recipe, you might never reach for the boxed product in the supermarket again!

Ingredients: The Fish
1 lb. dried salted bacalao (codfish), fillet style

Method:
a) - Place the bacalao in cold water to cover for at least 3 hours, or overnight.

b) - Drain, and rinse with fresh cold water. Now place it in a saucepan with water to cover, bring it to a boil, then lower the heat and allow it to simmer for 10 minutes.

c) - Drain, and allow to cool. Remove the skin and the bones.

d) - Rinse the bacalao a couple of times in fresh water. Take it between your hands, squeeze it and shred it. Double-check for any bones you may have missed.

Ingredients: The Batter and Frying Oil
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups water
teaspoon black pepper
2 cloves garlic
3 large culantro leaves, rinsed
Enough cooking oil for deep-frying in a heavy large pan

Method:
a) - Mix the flour, salt, baking powder and water. Crush the garlic and culantro leaves with a mortar and pestle, and mix in the black pepper. Add this seasoning to the batter, and blend well.

b) - Add the shredded bacalao to the batter and mix completely.

c) - Now you can heat the oil in a large heavy pan over medium high heat until it is hot enough for deep-frying. These minutes are useful for the batter to "set". Which means, don't touch the batter while you're heating up the oil.

d) - When you're positive the oil has reached the proper temperature, usually between 8 to 10 minutes, begin dropping the bacala to batter by tablespoonfuls into the pan.

e) - Remove each bacala to as it turns golden, using a slotted spoon. Place them on a paper towel to drain.