
A historical main dish from The White House cook book; a comprehensive cyclopedia of information for the home .. (1913). Very fine accompaniment to a good breakfast.
Preserved exactly as written in the original source
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Take a piece of salt codfish, pick it up very fine, put it into a saucepan, with plenty of cold water
Bring it to a boil, turn off the water, and add another of cold water
Let this boil with the fish about fifteen minutes, very slowly
Strain off this water, making the fish quite dry, and set aside to cool
In the meanwhile, stir up a batter of a pint of milk, four eggs, a pinch of salt, one large teaspoonful of baking powder in flour, enough to make thicker than batter cakes
Stir in the fish and fry like any fritters
Modern guidance to help you succeed with this vintage recipe
Boiling the salt cod twice in fresh water uses osmosis to draw out excess salt while rehydrating the dried fish, creating a mild, flaky texture perfect for fritters. The baking powder creates carbon dioxide bubbles when it hits the wet batter and heat, producing light, airy fritters with crispy exteriors. Cooling the fish before adding it to the batter prevents premature activation of the baking powder and keeps the fritters from becoming dense.
The salt cod can be boiled, drained, and picked up to 1 day ahead; store covered in the refrigerator. The batter can be mixed (without the fish) up to 2 hours ahead and held at room temperature, but fold in the fish and fry just before serving for best texture.
Store leftover fritters in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat in a 375°F oven on a wire rack for 8-10 minutes to restore crispness. Fritters can also be frozen for up to 1 month; reheat from frozen at 350°F for 15-20 minutes.
AI-generated tips from Chef Cecil's culinary database
The salt cod can be boiled, drained, and picked up to 1 day ahead; store covered in the refrigerator. The batter can be mixed (without the fish) up to 2 hours ahead and held at room temperature, but fold in the fish and fry just before serving for best texture.
Store leftover fritters in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat in a 375°F oven on a wire rack for 8-10 minutes to restore crispness. Fritters can also be frozen for up to 1 month; reheat from frozen at 350°F for 15-20 minutes.