ingredients
ROASTED GARLIC:
1 head garlic
olive oil (to drizzle)
CODFISH FRITTERS:
1 pound dried salted codfish (boneless)
1/2 lemon
1 and 1/2 cups whole milk
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup leeks (cleaned, white and light green parts only, finely chopped)
1 serrano (seeded, minced)
1/2 bunch parsley (chopped)
1/2 bunch cilantro (chopped)
1 pound russet potatoes (peeled, cubed)
3 cloves roasted garlic (recipe above, peeled, minced)
2 eggs (lightly beaten
canola oil (for frying)
freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
directions
For the Roasted Garlic: Preheat oven to 425ºF.
Cut off the top of the head of garlic. Place on top of aluminum foil, and drizzle with olive oil. Enclose the foil to create a packet. Bake for 30 minutes and allow to cool. When cool enough to handle, squeeze out 3 garlic cloves, mince, and set aside. Reserve the rest for another use.
For the Salted Cod Fritters: Fill a high-sided saute pan with 1-2 inches of canola oil and preheat to 360ºF.
Add the salted codfish to a large bowl filled with cold water. Let soak for 24 hours, switching out for fresh water half way through. Drain the water from the cod and transfer to a medium pot along milk and water to cover. Squeeze the lemon half into the pot and add the squeezed half to the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook until tender enough to flake with a fork, about 20 minutes. Drain, rinse cod and place in a medium bowl. Flake cod with a fork and set aside.
Heat a medium saute pan over medium heat with olive oil. Add leeks and cook until softened, about 3-5 minutes. Add serrano and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely.
Place the potatoes in a large pot, fill with water, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook until fork tender, about 15-20 minutes. Strain, transfer potatoes to a large bowl and mash with a potato masher until smooth and set aside to cool to room temperature.
Add leek mixture, roasted garlic, eggs, parsley and cilantro to potatoes and stir together until fully incorporated. Gently fold in the flaked cod until combined. Season with pepper to taste.
Working in batches use a 4-ounce ice cream scoop or 2 tablespoons to shape the cod mixture into a ball and place into the fry oil. Cook until golden brown, turning to get color on each side, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer fritters to a paper towel lined-plate to drain. Allow to cool slightly and serve with lemon wedges.
Tip: Puree the remaining roasted garlic and stir into some mayonnaise with lemon juice for a zesty dipping sauce or spread!
