Chef Dimitra
Aegean Island Kalamarakia Tiganita (Καλαμαράκια Τηγανητά)
Aegean island fried squid is flour, hot oil, lemon, and nerve. Fry it for a minute or two, no longer, and it stays tender under its crisp coat.
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Athenian Bakaliaros Tiganitos me Skordalia (Μπακαλιάρος Τηγανητός με Σκορδαλιά)
Created by
Athenian March 25 salt cod, crisp in a puffed beer batter and served with garlic skordalia, the Lenten fish dish Greece keeps for Annunciation day.
Appetizers & Snacks
Greek
Special Occasion
Comfort Food
Easter
35 min
Active Time
30 min cook•1 hr 5 min total
Yield4 to 6 servings
Athenian bakaliaros tiganitos is salt cod fried in a pale, puffed batter and eaten with skordalia, the sharp garlic purée that wakes the whole plate. On the 25th of March, when the Annunciation opens one fish day inside Lent, this is the dish you smell from stairwells and tavern kitchens before noon.
The whole thing depends on dryness. Desalt the cod properly, then dry it harder than seems polite, because wet fish makes batter slide off and oil spit. A dry surface lets the flour catch, the batter cling, and the outside fry crisp while the cod stays white and flaky inside. That is the one method that decides it.
I give you the potato skordalia common on the Athenian table: potatoes, garlic, vinegar, olive oil, and patience. It should be sharp enough to stand up to the salt cod, not so harsh it bites twice. My grandmother Despina made the bread version in Thessaloniki sometimes, but for this plate, the potato one sits steady beside the fish and holds its place.
Bakaliaros tiganitos with skordalia became tied to March 25 because the Orthodox fasting calendar permits fish on the Annunciation, even during Lent. Salt cod was useful across inland Greece because it traveled safely before refrigeration, reaching villages that had no fresh fish on that feast day. In Athens the dish became especially visible after the national celebration of Greek Independence Day was joined to the Annunciation in the nineteenth century.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
boneless salt cod fillets (bakaliaros)
Quantity
800g
desalted for 24 to 36 hours
all-purpose flour, for dredging
Quantity
120g
neutral oil or light olive oil, for frying
Quantity
1 liter
lemon wedges
Quantity
1 lemon
cut into wedges
all-purpose flour, for batter
Quantity
180g
rice flour or fine cornflour
Quantity
30g
baking powder
Quantity
1 teaspoon
fine sea salt
Quantity
1/2 teaspoon
cold lager beer
Quantity
250ml
cold sparkling water
Quantity
60ml
floury potatoes
Quantity
600g
peeled and cut into chunks
garlic cloves
Quantity
4
crushed with 1/2 teaspoon salt
extra virgin Koroneiki olive oil
Quantity
80ml
white wine vinegar
Quantity
35ml
potato cooking water
Quantity
2 tablespoons
as needed
fine sea salt
Quantity
to taste
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| boneless salt cod fillets (bakaliaros)desalted for 24 to 36 hours | 800g |
| all-purpose flour, for dredging | 120g |
| neutral oil or light olive oil, for frying | 1 liter |
| lemon wedgescut into wedges | 1 lemon |
| all-purpose flour, for batter | 180g |
| rice flour or fine cornflour | 30g |
| baking powder | 1 teaspoon |
| fine sea salt | 1/2 teaspoon |
| cold lager beer | 250ml |
| cold sparkling water | 60ml |
| floury potatoespeeled and cut into chunks | 600g |
| garlic clovescrushed with 1/2 teaspoon salt | 4 |
| extra virgin Koroneiki olive oil | 80ml |
| white wine vinegar | 35ml |
| potato cooking wateras needed | 2 tablespoons |
| fine sea salt | to taste |
Equipment Needed
- •heavy deep pan or Dutch oven, 24 to 28cm
- •clip-on frying thermometer
- •wire rack set over a tray
- •potato masher or mortar and pestle
Instructions
- 1
Desalt the cod
Rinse the salt cod under cold water, then soak it in a large bowl of cold water in the refrigerator for 24 to 36 hours, changing the water every 6 to 8 hours. Taste a tiny flake after a day. It should be seasoned, not punishing. Drain it, pull away any skin or bones, and cut it into pieces about 6cm wide.
- 2
Dry the fish
Lay the cod pieces on a clean towel and pat them dry on every side. Leave them uncovered for 15 minutes while you make the skordalia. This is the step people rush, and then they blame the batter. Wet cod throws off its coat in the oil.
- 3
Boil the potatoes
Put the potatoes in a saucepan, cover with cold salted water, and simmer until tender, 18 to 22 minutes. Drain them, reserving a little cooking water, then return the potatoes to the warm pan for 1 minute so the surface dries.
- 4
Make the skordalia
Mash the hot potatoes until smooth. Pound or stir in the crushed garlic and salt, then beat in the vinegar and olive oil a little at a time. Loosen with 1 or 2 tablespoons of potato water if needed. The skordalia should be thick, glossy, and sharp, not pourable.
- 5
Mix the batter
Whisk the flour, rice flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Add the cold beer and sparkling water and whisk only until no dry patches remain. A few small lumps are fine. Rest the batter for 10 minutes while the oil heats.
- 6
Heat the oil
Pour the oil into a heavy pot or deep pan to a depth of about 5cm and heat to 175C. Put the dredging flour in a shallow dish. Line a tray with a rack or paper towels for the fried fish.
- 7
Fry the cod
Dredge each cod piece lightly in flour, shake off the excess, then dip it in batter and let the extra drip back into the bowl. Fry in small batches for 3 to 4 minutes, turning once, until puffed and deep gold. Keep the oil steady between 170C and 180C so the batter cooks before the fish dries out.
- 8
Serve at once
Salt only if the cod needs it, then serve hot with the skordalia and lemon wedges. Bakaliaros waits for nobody. Put it on the table while the crust still taps under the fork.
Chef Tips
- •Buy proper salt cod, not fresh cod sprinkled with salt. The cured fish has its own firm texture and clean depth after soaking. Liga kai kala: a good piece of cod and honest garlic do more than any cleverness.
- •Keep the batter cold and the oil steady. If the oil is too cool, the crust drinks grease. If it's too hot, it browns before the cod flakes.
- •Skordalia can be made with bread or potatoes, and families will defend both. For the Athenian March 25 table, potato skordalia is steady, sharp, and kind to a home cook.
Advance Preparation
- •Start desalting the cod 24 to 36 hours before cooking; the dish depends on it.
- •The skordalia can be made up to 6 hours ahead and kept covered at room temperature if the kitchen is cool, or refrigerated and brought back to room temperature before serving.
- •Mix the dry batter ingredients ahead, but add the beer and sparkling water only just before frying.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 375g)
Calories
785 calories
Total Fat
39 g
Saturated Fat
5 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
32 g
Cholesterol
85 mg
Sodium
2100 mg
Total Carbohydrates
58 g
Dietary Fiber
4 g
Sugars
1 g
Protein
44 g
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