Fried Haddock and Potato Bacalao

Traditionally done with salt cod, bacalao is a deliciously salty and earthy potato and fish fritter. To lighten the dish up a little, I use fresh haddock and adjust the seasonings to blend nicely with the neutral fish! This dish works as an appetizer for cocktail parties or as a delicious snack! Served best with chili or garlic aioli.

Ingredients

  • 1 LB Fresh North Atlantic Haddock
  • ¼ cup milk
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 LB potatoes, peeled
  • 1 ½  Tbsp dill, chopped
  • 1 ½ Tbsp mint, chopped
  • Zest from 1 lemon
  • 1 egg
  • ½  red chili, minced
  • 2 ounce flour
  • 1 quart canola oil; enough to fry
  • Salt & FGBP to taste

Preparation

For the Haddock

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
  2. In a baking dish, place the haddock with milk and bay leaf, and season generously with salt.
  3. Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes.
  4. *While the fish is cooking, start the potatoes*
  5. Remove the fish from the oven and flake into a large bowl.

For the Main Event

In a large pot of heavily salted water, bring the potatoes to a boil and cook for 15 minutes.

Once cooked, drain the water and return to the heat to dry out the potatoes a little and then mash them.

Add potatoes, dill, mint, lemon zest, egg, chili and seasoning to the large bowl with the cooked haddock.

Mix well and season to taste, you want it to be on the saltier side.

Using a clean work space sprinkled with a little flour, roll 1 Tbsp of mix into little football shapes.

When rolling into the shapes it is important to have a little flour on your hands to prevent sticking and also to transfer the finished balls to a lightly floured sheet tray or plate. Once all of the mix is shaped,  refrigerate them for a bit to help them hold the shape.

Pour oil into a heavy duty pot for frying. Make certain that the oil is 1 ½ to 2 inches deep. Turn the heat to medium-high, letting the oil rise to 360 degrees. Working in small batches, fry the balls for 2 to 4 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer from the oil onto a paper towel-lined plate or sheet tray and season with an additional sprinkle of salt. Serve immediately with garlic, chili or citrus aioli.

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