It’s one of my go-to appetizer options whenever I go out to eat, and if it appears on the restaurant’s menu, I’m getting it. My Grand-ma Lucilla, which I got everyone to start calling Grammies, made it for my family all time. It was our kind of “Friday night fried food” thing. Back then, she and most Trinis would call it Saltfish Accra. She also made a variation with baby shrimp, again, simply named Shrimp Accra. Those were the bomb!
Today, I like to make these easy cod-fish fritters at home when having friends or family over. Served as is or with anything from my mother’s pepper sauce to a store-bought mango and habanero dipping sauce, this is a versatile meal that brings everyone to the table.
Also, I enjoy having company over to the apartment and I hate feeling like all my time has to be spent slaving over hot oil, frying flaked fish batter. So I use my “one cup” rule that yields enough fritters to feed three people comfortably.
1 cup of sifted all-purpose flour
½ Tbsp of baking powder
½ tsp of creole seasoning
½ tsp black pepper
1 ½ tsp kosher salt
1 cup of cooked, flaked cod fish
½ cup green bell peppers, small chop
½ cup red bell peppers, small chop
½ cup onion, small chop
1 ¼ cup of cold water
Vegetable oil for frying
In a medium bowl, add the fish, peppers and onions. To that, add the sifted flour, baking powder, creole seasoning, salt and pepper. Steadily pour the cold water over the dry ingredients, mix the batter completely, whisking quickly to ensure lumps don’t form. Batter should not be too thick or runny. And you could avoid this by adding the liquid per cup instead of all at once. Cover and place in the fridge to rest for at least half an hour.
In a medium/large deep skillet, heat about 1 ½ inches of oil to 350 degrees. Use a tablespoon and a glass of water to dip the spoon in between dropping the batter in the hot oil. You can always cook one fritter first to see if the seasoning needs to be adjusted. Working in batches, scoop tablespoon-size mounds of batter into the hot oil and fry. Turn two or three times so the fritters don’t burn and are evenly cooked until they are deeply golden all over. Drain on paper towels. Transfer to a platter and serve hot, with your favorite sauce or side.
