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Bajan fish cakes
Barbadian salt-cod fritters, crisp outside and soft inside, with pepper sauce
Fish cakes are on every Bajan party table and in every rum-shop snack box, and on Friday nights at Oistins Fish Fry they are tucked into a split salt bread roll as 'bread and two'. These are not potato patties but spoonfuls of light, herby batter full of flaked salt cod, spring onion, thyme and Scotch bonnet, fried until puffed and golden. Serve them hot with Bajan pepper sauce or a squeeze of lime. The mistake that gives flat, greasy fish cakes is a thin batter; it should drop from the spoon in a soft blob, not pour. Chef's tip: taste a flake of the cooked cod before mixing; if it is still salty, don't add any more salt to the batter.
- Total time
- 55 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
For the saltfish
For the batter
For frying and serving
Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Put 9 oz boneless salt cod in a bowl, cover with plenty of cold water and leave in the fridge for 12–24 hours, changing the water 3 times. This draws out the salt.
Step 2: Drain the cod, put it in a pan of fresh cold water and bring to the boil. Simmer for 10 minutes, until it flakes easily. Drain and leave until cool enough to handle.
12 minStep 3: Flake the fish finely with your fingers, picking out any skin and small bones. Taste a flake: it should be pleasantly salty, not harsh.
Step 4: In a bowl, mix 7 oz plain flour and 1 ½ tsp baking powder. Stir in the flaked fish, 3 spring onions, ½ onion, 2 cloves garlic, 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves, ⅓ oz fresh parsley, ½ Scotch bonnet chilli and ¼ tsp ground black pepper.
Step 5: Add ¾ cup water a little at a time, stirring, until you have a thick, sticky batter that drops off a spoon in a blob. Leave it to stand for 10 minutes.
10 minStep 6: Heat 4 ¼ cups vegetable oil in a deep pan to 350°F. Drop in heaped teaspoons of batter, 6–8 at a time, and fry for 4–5 minutes, turning, until puffed and deep golden. Break one open: the inside should be fluffy and cooked, with no wet batter.
15 minStep 7: Drain on kitchen paper and serve hot with Bajan pepper sauce and lime wedges. Keep the oil at 350°F between batches so they don't soak up grease.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 230 kcal
- Protein
- 11 g
- Carbs
- 21 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does bajan fish cakes take?
- About 55 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of baking powder?
- ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda + ½ tsp cream of tartar per 1 tsp.
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