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Buñuelos de Bacalao Catalanes
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Buñuelos de Bacalao Catalanes are Lenten fritters, desalted cod loosened through a garlic-parsley batter and fried by the spoonful until they puff, crisp at the edges, and stay soft in the middle.
Appetizers & Snacks
Spanish
Easter
Comfort Food
Make Ahead
25 min
Active Time
20 min cook•24 hr 45 min total
Yield4 to 6 servings, about 24 fritters
Buñuelos de Bacalao Catalanes, bunyols de bacallà in Catalonia, are the cod fritters of the Lenten table: salt cod, garlic, parsley, egg, flour, and hot oil. They are not croquetas. No béchamel, no neat little cylinders. The cod is carried in a spoon batter, and the fritters come out irregular, light, and crisp at the ridges, tal como se hace allí.
The method that decides them is simple: desalt the bacalao properly, then keep the batter thick enough to hold the fish. Too much liquid gives you flat, oily fritters. Too little and they turn heavy. The spoonful should sit up for a second before it drops into the oil. Pésalo, no lo adivines, especially the cod, because salt cod changes from one shop to the next.
No hace falta haber pisado España. If you can't find a Catalan bacallaneria, buy good salt cod from a Portuguese, Italian, or Caribbean shop and soak it yourself; if you find bacalao already desalted, that is exactly what many homes would use. Fresh cod is a compromise, not the same thing, but I give you the way to salt it briefly if that is what your market has. The note in my Margin says: fry small, keep the oil steady. Siempre sale, si lo sigues.
Bunyols de bacallà belong to Catalonia's Quaresma, Lent, when salt cod answered the meatless table because it traveled well and kept in the larder. Barcelona's bacallaneries, shops devoted to cutting and soaking cod, made bacallà remullat, already desalted cod, part of everyday shopping. The Catalan home version is spooned from a garlic-parsley batter, irregular and light, not shaped like a croqueta and not bound with béchamel.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
desalted salt cod (bacalao)
Quantity
250g
weighed after soaking, drained, patted dry
plain flour
Quantity
120g
baking powder
Quantity
4g (1 teaspoon)
large eggs
Quantity
2
whole milk or cold water
Quantity
120ml
garlic
Quantity
2 cloves
grated to a paste
flat-leaf parsley
Quantity
12g
finely chopped
freshly ground black pepper (optional)
Quantity
to taste
fine sea salt (optional)
Quantity
up to 1/4 teaspoon
mild olive oil, for frying
Quantity
750ml, or enough for a 5cm depth
allioli (optional)
Quantity
to serve
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| desalted salt cod (bacalao)weighed after soaking, drained, patted dry | 250g |
| plain flour | 120g |
| baking powder | 4g (1 teaspoon) |
| large eggs | 2 |
| whole milk or cold water | 120ml |
| garlicgrated to a paste | 2 cloves |
| flat-leaf parsleyfinely chopped | 12g |
| freshly ground black pepper (optional) | to taste |
| fine sea salt (optional) | up to 1/4 teaspoon |
| mild olive oil, for frying | 750ml, or enough for a 5cm depth |
| allioli (optional) | to serve |
Equipment Needed
- •Heavy 24cm saucepan or deep frying pan
- •Deep-fry thermometer
- •Wire rack set over a tray
- •Two teaspoons
Instructions
- 1
Desalt the cod
If your bacalao is still salted, rinse off the surface salt and put it skin side up in a bowl of cold water. Refrigerate for 24 hours, changing the water every 8 hours. Thick loin pieces need 36 hours. Drain, pat very dry, and weigh 250g for the batter; keep any extra for another meal. If you bought bacalao desalado, already soaked, rinse it, pat it dry, and start here.
Salt cod varies wildly. The recipe is measured from the desalted weight because that is the fish going into the bowl. - 2
Poach and flake
Put the desalted cod in a small pan and cover it with fresh cold water. Bring it just to the first tremble, then turn off the heat, cover, and let it sit for 5 minutes. Drain it well, let it cool until you can handle it, then remove any skin and bones and flake the fish small with your fingers. Do not boil it hard; the cod tightens and the fritter loses its soft middle.
- 3
Mix the batter
Whisk the flour and baking powder in a bowl. In a second bowl, beat the eggs with the milk or water, garlic, parsley, and a little black pepper. Whisk in the flour until smooth, then fold in the flaked cod. The batter should be thick enough to sit on a teaspoon and drop only with a small push. If it runs like cream, add 10g more flour; if it stands stiff like dough, add 1 tablespoon more milk or water. Rest it for 15 minutes.
- 4
Heat the oil
Pour the olive oil into a heavy pan to a 5cm depth, with the pan no more than half full, and heat it to 175°C. Fry one small test spoonful first. Taste it before adding any salt to the batter, because bacalao brings its own salt. Add up to 1/4 teaspoon only if the test fritter tastes flat.
No thermometer? A pea-sized drop of batter should sink for one second, rise, and bubble steadily. If it browns at once, the oil is too hot; if it lies there drinking oil, it is too cool. - 5
Fry by spoonfuls
Use two teaspoons to drop walnut-sized spoonfuls of batter into the oil, 5 or 6 at a time. Fry for 3 to 4 minutes, turning once or twice, until deep gold with craggy crisp edges. Keep the oil between 170°C and 180°C so the fritters puff before the outside gets too dark. Lift them to a wire rack or brown paper to drain.
- 6
Serve hot
Serve the buñuelos while the ridges are still crisp and the middle is soft, with allioli if you like. They need no decoration. If a batch browns too fast, lower the heat and carry on; if one turns out heavy, make the next spoonful smaller. Nadie nace sabiendo.
Chef Tips
- •Buy salt cod that smells clean and sea-salty, not sharp or stale. Yellow, tired pieces give tired fritters, and no good batter fixes that.
- •If you are far from a Catalan shop, Portuguese salted cod is the right substitute. Soak it the same way and weigh it after draining. The flavour will be exactly where it needs to be, only the cut and thickness may change the soaking time.
- •If all you can get is fresh cod, use 250g skinless cod, sprinkle it with 8g fine salt, refrigerate 90 minutes, rinse, and pat very dry. The fritters will be milder and wetter, so hold back the last 20ml of milk or water until you see the batter.
- •Keep the fritters small. A large spoonful looks generous, then browns outside before the centre cooks. Walnut-sized is the honest measure.
- •Serve with allioli, the Catalan garlic oil sauce, or with nothing at all. A cold glass of brut cava or a dry white from Penedès is right beside them.
Advance Preparation
- •Desalt the cod 24 hours ahead, or 36 hours for thick loin pieces, changing the water every 8 hours.
- •The poached, flaked cod can be kept covered in the refrigerator for 24 hours before mixing the batter.
- •Mix the batter no more than 1 hour before frying. Leave it overnight and the baking powder loses lift, while the garlic gets too loud.
- •Fried fritters are best fresh, but they can be reheated on a rack in a 190°C oven for 6 to 8 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 120g)
Calories
315 calories
Total Fat
18 g
Saturated Fat
3 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
15 g
Cholesterol
100 mg
Sodium
600 mg
Total Carbohydrates
20 g
Dietary Fiber
1 g
Sugars
1 g
Protein
17 g
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