Description
These Jamaican Saltfish Fritters are deliciously crispy and flavorful, making a perfect breakfast, lunch or appetizer. Made with shredded saltfish, fresh vegetables, herbs and gluten-free flour, they are pan-fried until golden brown and crisp.
Ingredients
- 2 cups saltfish, shredded (270 g / 1/2 lb)
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 1/2 tablespoon fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped (optional)
- Scotch bonnet, optional (1/2 pepper for extra heat)
- 1 small tomato, chopped
- 1 cup gluten-free flour (140 g)
- 1 cup water (8 oz / 250 ml)
- Olive oil, about 1/4 cup for frying
Instructions
- Place the shredded saltfish in a medium-sized bowl.
- Add the onion and garlic and mix until fully combined.
- Add the fresh thyme, black pepper and bell pepper to the saltfish mixture.
- Add the Scotch bonnet, if using, along with the chopped tomato. Fold everything together so the ingredients are evenly distributed.
- Add the flour, then slowly mix in the water to form a smooth batter. The batter should be medium in consistency, neither too runny nor too thick.
- Preheat a sturdy non-stick frying pan over medium heat and add the olive oil. Spoon a small amount of the fritter mixture into the pan, being careful not to overcrowd it.
- Reduce the heat to low-medium and cook each fritter until golden brown on both sides. Carefully move the pan from side to side to distribute the oil evenly.
- Transfer the cooked fritters to paper towels to absorb any excess oil.
- Repeat with the remaining batter, adding more oil if needed.
Notes
- Don’t spoon too much batter into the frying pan. The fritters naturally increase somewhat in volume, so no raising agents are needed.
- Don’t make the fritters too thick or dense if you want them to crisp well.
- The batter should have a medium consistency. If it is too runny, add a tablespoon more flour. If it is too thick, thin it with a splash of water.
- The membrane of the Scotch bonnet contains much of the heat, so adjust it according to your preference.
- Leave out the Scotch bonnet if you don’t want a spicy fritter. A habanero or other chili can be used instead.
- Scallion and additional bell pepper can also be added with the onion.
- The recipe uses 270 g of shredded saltfish, about 2 cups. If you are not preparing the saltfish yourself, use a package of saltfish.
- Use a non-stick frying pan to avoid needing excessive oil. Pan-frying takes a little longer to crisp the fritters but uses less oil than deep-frying.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: Jamaican