Créole Salt Cod Fritters a Recipe from Café Brun in Antibes
The new Head Chef at Antibes hotspot Café Brun, formerly of Fish Corner in St Barths in the Caribbean, shares his recipe for Créole salt cod fritters.
Before joining Café Brun, Baptiste spent four years as Head Chef at Fish Corner in St Barths in the Caribbean. Originally from Martigues near Marseille, he learned his trade in Avignon before his work took him to New York and St Barths before returning to the French Riviera to join Café Brun in Antibes. Baptiste shares Café Brun owners Ben and Bea’s love for the French Riviera and its abundance of fresh produce.
The menu at Café Brun is designed for sharing moments with loved ones; Mediterranean tapas and abundant sharing boards of carefully-chosen charcuterie and cheeses, and these Créole salt cod fritters are one of their bestsellers!
Accras de Morue - Créole Salt Cod Fritters
Equipment
- 1 mixing bowls, stainless steel large
- 1 serving bowl, small for the Dipping Sauce
Ingredients
- 2.2 lbs cod fillet salted
- 28 oz white flour
- 3 1/2 oz cornstarch
- 3 oz baking soda
- 6 eggs
- 16 oz milk
- 16 oz water used to cook the salt cod (see below)
- 16 oz Beer
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon Chilli Powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 bunch of flat-leaf (Italian) parsley chopped
- 2 spring onions chopped
- 1 lemon juiced
- 12 cups vegetable oil for deep frying
For the Dipping Sauce:
- 16 oz Sweet and Sour Sauce
- 3 1/2 oz Soy Sauce
- 1 1/2 oz Teriyaki Sauce
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 lemon juiced
- handful of coriander chopped
Instructions
Rehydrate the Salt Cod:
- Before cooking the cod, you must rehydrate and desalinate it by soaking it in cold water. Carefully rinse the fish with fresh water. Make sure you cover the fish with water in a large bowl and gently rub it to remove the salt. Alternatively, you can do this directly under running water. Then soak the fish in some more fresh cold water and keep it in the fridge for 12-24 hours in an airtight container. Make sure to change the water every few hours.
Cook the Cod:
- Once you’ve soaked the fish and rinsed off any excess salt, you can cook it!
- Place it in a saucepan with cold water, olive oil and a bouquet garni. Bring it to a gentle boil and cook for about 10-15 minutes. You don’t want to boil it vigorously because the fish could become tough and rubbery.
- Keep two (2) cups of water aside and drain the rest. Check for any bones and crumble the still-warm cod on a plate (it's easier than doing it when it is cold).
For the Dough Mixture:
- Mix together, by hand, the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, pepper, chilli powder and paprika. Add the eggs, beer, milk, lemon juice and water from cooking the salt. Gently knead until you have a soft dough.
- Add the chopped parsley and spring onions to the dough, ensuring they’re worked into it evenly.
- Add the flaked cooked cod to the dough, cover and leave it to rest in the fridge for 12 hours.
Make the Dipping Sauce:
- Make the sauce using the above ingredients and put it in a little dipping bowl ready to serve.
Fry the Fritters:
- Heat the vegetable oil in a deep pan, ensuring there is about 10cm of oil. Use a tablespoon to measure the batter, ensuring a uniform size for the fritters.
- Make a “test” fritter to gauge if the oil is hot enough.
- Cook a few at a time, depending on the size of the pan, turning for even cooking all over. Remove the fritters once they are a light golden colour.
- When scooping out those crispy fritters, lean them against the side of the saucepan for at least 20 seconds, allowing the grease to drain before finally depositing them on a baking sheet lined with paper towels.
- Serve the fritters warm, on a big sharing platter, with the sauce for dipping, or as a starter with a nice salad on the side.
Notes
Drinks Pairing Suggestion: Café Brun Bar Manager, Igor, suggests pairing this dish with a rum cocktail – his favourite is the new signature cocktail ‘East 8 Holdup’: Bacardi Cuatro gold rum, Aperol, passionfruit jus, pineapple juice, lime.
Café Brun Antibes can be found at 8 Rue Aubernon, 06600 Antibes. Follow them on social media @cafebrunantibes or visit their website www.cafebrun.com. Bookings can be made directly with the owner, Bea bea@cafebrun.com. Café Brun is open seven days a week, all year round.
Antibes Travel Tips
Antibes is one of the only medieval cities on the Mediterranean that has been nicely preserved. Surrounded by ramparts dating from the 10th century, the old town retains a village sensation inside the walls. Conveniently located on the French Riviera between must-see Nice and Cannes, Antibes is a relatively small centre. Outside the one-time defensive walls is Port Vauban. Billed as “Europe’s largest marina,” this is where vessels of every size and shape moor – from superyachts to fishing boats.
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