Buñuelos de Bacalao Catalanes

Buñuelos de Bacalao Catalanes, bunyols de bacallà in Catalonia, are the cod fritters of the Lenten table: salt cod, garlic, parsley, egg, flour, and hot oil. They are not croquetas. No béchamel, no neat little cylinders. The cod is carried in a spoon batter, and the fritters come out irregular, light, and crisp at the ridges, tal como se hace allí.

The method that decides them is simple: desalt the bacalao properly, then keep the batter thick enough to hold the fish. Too much liquid gives you flat, oily fritters. Too little and they turn heavy. The spoonful should sit up for a second before it drops into the oil. Pésalo, no lo adivines, especially the cod, because salt cod changes from one shop to the next.

No hace falta haber pisado España. If you can't find a Catalan bacallaneria, buy good salt cod from a Portuguese, Italian, or Caribbean shop and soak it yourself; if you find bacalao already desalted, that is exactly what many homes would use. Fresh cod is a compromise, not the same thing, but I give you the way to salt it briefly if that is what your market has. The note in my Margin says: fry small, keep the oil steady. Siempre sale, si lo sigues.