When I think of bacalao (cod), it reminds me of being in my grandma’s house during lent when we couldn’t eat meat on Fridays. She would make what seemed like hundreds of cods in the oven and the smell of fish in her house would slightly drive me crazy, but the taste was delicious. So as a tribute to those memories and because it’s a known tapa in Spain, I wanted to share with you all my recipe for croquetas de bacalao (cod croquettes). I typically make these during the summer time and of course, during lent.

Croquetas de Bacalao (Cod Croquettes) Recipe

I don’t like fish, would I like these?

YES! My wife hates fish but loves these croquetes. They do not have an overpowering fish taste and are full of flavor.

How do you desalt cod?

It takes a little bit of work to desalt cod. If you can find it desalted already that would be great but if not you have to desalt it since it is a salty fish. To do so, you have to soak the cod in water inside the fridge for about 24 hours, changing the water every 8 hours.

How you make croquetas de bacalao?

Desalt your cod: At least 24 hours before making your croquettes, place the cod in a bowl of water in the fridge. Change the water at least three times.
Dry and shred your cod: After the cod has been in the water for at least 24 hours, remove it, dry it with a napkin, and shred it into tiny pieces, making sure to remove any bones.
Cook the cod: In a medium frying pan, add 2 tbsp of oil and heat over medium heat. Once hot, add your diced onions and garlic. Cook for about 5 minutes, until the onion is translucent. Add the shredded cod afterwards, saute for about 5 minutes and remove from the heat and set aside.
Make your bechamel sauce: In a large saute pan over medium heat, add butter and 2 tbsp of olive oil. Heat until the butter starts to foam. Add the flour to make a roux and continuously stir, until it becomes a golden color. Next, add the whole milk slowly until it is well incorporated.
Add the cod and seasoning: Once the milk is incorporated, add the cod back in and season the mixture with garlic powder, salt, nutmeg, and black pepper. Stir to combine everything together. Remove the mixture, place it in the fridge and allow it to cool (for at least 4 hours or overnight).
Form your croquetes: Once chilled, scoop out about 2 tbsp of filling and roll into a ball or log. Dip the croquete into flour and then into an egg wash and after into bread crumbs or Mariquitas plantain crumbs and set aside. Repeat until you have no more filling left.
Fry: In a deep fryer or on a pan, heat up oil to about 350°F. Place the croquetas in the oil for about 2-3 minutes, until golden brown. Transfer to a plate line with a paper towel.
Serve with lemon and/or a dill aioli: To make a dill aioli, combine mayo, fresh dill, lemon, salt, pepper, and a diced garlic. Stir until it’s well incorporated. Serve together with the croquettes.

Croquetas de Bacalao (Cod Croquettes) Recipe

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Course: Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine: Cuban, Hispanic, Latin

Keyword: Cod Croquettes, croqueta, croquetas, Croquetas De Bacalao, croquetes

Prep Time: 2

Cook Time: 30

Total Time: 2 30

Servings: croquettes

Ingredients

4 tbsp of olive oil
½ cup of onion
2 garlic cloves diced
0.8 lbs of cod
4 tbsp of butter unsalted
2 cups of whole milk
2 tsp of garlic powder
1 tsp of salt
½ tsp of nutmeg
½ tsp of black pepper
4 eggs
¾ flour
¾ cup of bread crumbs or plantain chip crumbs

Dill aioli

½ cup of mayonnaise
2 tsp of fresh dill
1 tsp of salt
½ tsp of black pepper
1 tbsp of fresh lemon juice
1 garlic clove diced

Instructions

At least 24 hours before making your croquettes, place the cod in a bowl of water in the fridge. Change the water at least three times.
After the cod has been in the water for at least 24 hours, remove it, dry it with a napkin and shred it into tiny pieces, making sure to remove any bones.
In a medium frying pan, add 2 tbsp of oil and heat over medium heat. Once hot, add your diced onions and garlic. Cook for about 5 minutes, until the onion is translucent.
Add the shredded cod afterwards, saute for about 5 minutes and remove from the heat and set aside.
In a large saute pan over medium heat, add butter and 2 tbsp of olive oil. Heat until the butter starts to foam. Add the flour to make a roux and continuously stir, until it becomes a golden color. Next, add the whole milk slowly until it is well incorporated.
Once the milk is incorporated, add the cod back in and season the mixture with garlic powder, salt, nutmeg, and black pepper. Stir to combine everything together. Remove the mixture, alace it in the fridge and allow it to cool (for at least 4 hours or overnight).
Once chilled, scoop out about 2 tbsp of filling and roll into a ball or log. Dip the croquette into the flour and then into an egg wash, and after into the bread crumbs or plantain chip crumbs and set aside. Repeat until you have no more filling left.
In a deep fryer or on a pan, heat up oil to about 350°F. Place the croquetas in the oil for about 2-3 minutes, until golden brown. Transfer to a plate line with a paper towel.
To make a dill aioli, combine mayo, fresh dill, lemon, salt, pepper, and a diced garlic. Stir until it’s well incorporated. Serve together with the croquettes.