Pataniscas Rápidas de Bacalhau
Pataniscas Rápidas de Bacalhau·(pah-tah-NEESH-kash RAH-pee-dash de bah-kahl-YOW)
O Nosso Bacalhau
If there’s a smell that instantly drops a first-generation kid back into a chaotic family kitchen on a Friday night, it’s the aroma of frying pataniscas. These are the unpretentious, rustic soul of Portuguese home cooking—lacy, jagged-edged fritters entirely unlike the dense croquettes sold to tourists in Lisbon. In the old country, you soaked the salt cod for days, but in an American weeknight kitchen, pre-desalted frozen cod flakes from the supermarket freezer aisle bypass the wait without sacrificing an ounce of flavor. Armed with the old-school tasca trick of using ice-cold sparkling water for an impossibly airy batter, you can pull genuine, nostalgic crunch straight from the frying pan in under thirty minutes.
Before you start
Thaw and aggressively dry the cod.
Squeeze out as much excess liquid from the thawed cod as physically possible using your hands; if the fish carries water into the bowl, the batter will be soggy.
Mix the base batter.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs until frothy, then incorporate the flour and baking powder to form a thick, dry paste.
Aerate the batter.
Gently whisk in the ice-cold club soda just until smooth. Do not overmix this, or the gluten will develop and make the fritters tough instead of tender.
Fold in the aromatics and cod.
Add the shredded cod, extremely finely minced onion, garlic, parsley, and black pepper, folding gently until evenly distributed.
Ingredients
- frozen desalted salt cod flakes12 oz
- eggs3 large
- all-purpose flour1 1/2 cup
- baking powder1 tsp
- yellow onion1 small
- garlic2 med clove
- fresh flat-leaf parsley1/2 cup
- club soda or seltzer water3/4 cup
- freshly ground black pepper1/4 tsp
- kosher saltto taste
- sunflower or vegetable oil1 1/2 cup
Method
- 01
Test the seasoning.
Salt cod is deeply unpredictable, so heat a tiny spoonful of oil in a skillet, fry a dime-sized dollop of batter, and taste it before seasoning the rest of the bowl with kosher salt.
- 02
Heat the frying oil.
Pour a half-inch of sunflower or vegetable oil into a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat until it reaches 350°F, or until a drop of batter immediately and aggressively sizzles.
- 03
Drop and seal the fritters.
Working in batches to avoid crowding, drop two-tablespoon dollops of batter into the hot oil, letting them spread into irregular, rustic shapes. Immediately spoon hot oil over their raw tops to set the batter before attempting to flip them, which prevents messy splatters.
- 04
Fry until golden and crisp.
Cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side until deeply browned and lacy at the edges, then transfer with a slotted spatula to a wire rack set over paper towels.
Notes
Master the grandmother's trick.
Basting the raw top of the fritter with hot oil immediately after it hits the pan is the defining technique for maintaining the patanisca's signature airy, rustic shape without making a complete mess of your stovetop.
Source the right cod.
If you cannot find frozen desalted flakes, boil a 12-ounce piece of traditional dried salt cod vigorously for 15 minutes to strip the preserving salt, then drain and flake it.
Serve it like a local.
Eat them hot while standing directly over the kitchen counter, or properly alongside a slightly soupy, rich tomato rice (Arroz de Tomate).