Salt Cod Fritters with Lemon Aioli

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Italian · 1500 min · Fish · pescatarian, dairy-free, low-carb

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Ingredients

• 1/4 lb salt cod (baccalà)
• 1/4 lb russet potatoes
• 1 large eggs
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1 garlic cloves
• 1 lemons
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 tsp Calabrian chile paste
• 1/4 tsp fennel seed, crushed
• 1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 1 qt vegetable oil, for frying

Method (tap to check — screen stays awake)

1. Start a full day ahead: submerge the salt cod in cold water, refrigerate, and soak 24 hours, changing the water 3 or 4 times. This step is non-negotiable — unsoaked baccalà is inedibly salty.
2. Make the aioli: stir the mayonnaise with 1 grated garlic clove, the zest and juice of 1 lemon, and the Calabrian chile paste. Chill until serving.
3. Simmer the drained cod in fresh water 15 minutes until it flakes; drain, cool, and pick over for bones and skin, flaking the fish finely.
4. Meanwhile, boil the peeled, chunked potatoes in salted water 15 minutes until tender; drain well and mash smooth.
5. Stir together the flaked cod, mashed potato, eggs, remaining 3 garlic cloves (grated), parsley, and the house lemon-fennel pepper blend: the crushed fennel seed, the zest of the second lemon, and plenty of coarse black pepper. Fold in the flour and baking powder to make a thick, scoopable batter.
6. Heat the oil to 350F in a heavy pot filled no more than half full, with a frying thermometer clipped to the side — keep the pot on a back burner and the handle turned in.
7. Fry heaping tablespoons of batter in batches of 6, turning once, 3 to 4 minutes until deep golden. Don't crowd the pot; let the oil return to 350F between batches.
8. Drain on a rack, hit them with flaky salt while hot, and serve with the lemon aioli and wedges of the remaining lemon.

Nutrition figures are estimates. Verify allergens on every ingredient label before cooking.

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