Accras de Morue - Créole Salt Cod Fritters
“A staple dish in the Caribbean where I worked for five years as Head Chef of a fish restaurant, Accras De Morue are crispy, puffy, tender fritters with a little spice. Great with cocktails or a glass of wine!” ~ Head Chef Baptiste
Equipment
- 1 mixing bowl large
- 1 Serving Platter
- 1 Small Bowl for the Dipping Sauce
Ingredients
- 2.2 lbs Cod Filets salted
- 28 oz Plain 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 Flatleaf 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
Please note – cod needs desalting before cooking, and this process takes 24 hours. The dough needs to be made 12 hours before cooking, ideally.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!