Codfish Balls

Codfish balls are a tasty dish that combines the flavor of the sea with the convenience of a finger-food meal. Here is the recipe.

Ingredients

• 400 g of pre-soaked codfish
• 2 medium-sized potatoes
• 1 clove of garlic
• Parsley to taste
• 1 egg
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste
• Breadcrumbs to taste
• Extra virgin olive oil (for frying)

Preparation

1. Start by boiling the potatoes with their skins on in a pot of boiling water until they are tender. Then, peel and mash them with a potato masher.
2. Meanwhile, also boil the codfish in water for about 15-20 minutes. Once ready, drain it, allow it to cool a bit, and clean it by removing the skin and bones. Shred it with your hands or with the help of a fork.
3. In a large bowl, combine the shredded codfish and mashed potatoes. Add finely chopped garlic clove, chopped parsley, salt, and pepper to taste. Add the egg, which will help to bind the mixture, and mix all the ingredients well until you get a homogeneous mixture.
4. Shape the mixture into walnut-sized balls with your hands, coat them in breadcrumbs and place them on a plate.
5. Heat a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil in a pan and when it has reached the right temperature (a piece of bread should fry without burning), fry the balls until they are golden and crispy. Be careful not to overcrowd them so as not to lower the oil temperature.
6. Drain them on paper towels to remove the excess oil.
7. Serve hot, as an appetizer or second course, with a slice of lemon and, if you like, with a mayonnaise-based or yogurt sauce for dipping.

Curiosity

Codfish balls are a very versatile dish; they can be enriched by adding other ingredients such as olives, capers, or grated cheese to the mixture. Moreover, they are a tasty solution to reinvent any leftover codfish from the holidays.