Cod fritters

Among the many ways of cooking cod (known both as merluzzo and baccalà in Italian) the most popular in the Appennine region south of Alessandria is to fry it. In days gone by, dealers who sold farinata (a chick pea flatbread) and castagnaccio (a chestnut flour cake) also offered cod fritters, These fritters were crispy and contained unsalted cod cooked in batter. Their exact composition is still a mystery today. What made them special was the fact that they puffed up, yet remained dry and not soaked in oil. The way of frying the cod is typical of our local recipes ranging from the classic cod in parsley to cod cooked in tomato and anchovy dip. Before setting about this recipe, the salted cod should be left to soak in water for two or three days. The water should be changed at least two or three times a day.