Bolinhos de Bacalhau (cont'd)
Preparation:
You need to soak the salt cod overnight in cold water and during the morning. Change the water during the morning 2 - 3 times. Drain, remove the skin and any bones and cut the codfish into small pieces.
Codfish Cooking Stock: Heat enough water to cover the codfish. Add the bayleaf, onion quarters, peppercorns and the spring of parsley. Bring it to a boil, let it simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the codfish and bring it again to a quick boil. Remove from the heat immediately and let it cool off for 15 - 20 minutes.
Final Steps: Drain the fish, flake it into a bowl and add the mashed potatoes. Beat the eggs and add them to the fish and potatoes. Add the coriander or parsley, the chopped scallion or onion and freshly grated pepper to taste. Wait about 30 minutes to form the bolinhos. Taste for salt; the codfish/potato mix should be slighly salty unless it was soaked too much. In that case you might need to add a little bit of salt. The mix should be smooth. If it is too thin add more mashed potatoes or flour.
Form the Bolinhos de Bacalhau in an oval shape using 2 tablespoons as an aid. They should be about 6 cm (2 1/2 inches) long. Fry the bolinhos in a deep fryer set at 190°C (375°F) or use a deep skillet, turning the bolinhos around until they are golden brown on all sides. Dry in paper towels. Decorate them with some lemon wedges, black olives and parsley. Bom apetite!