Bacalaitos

Ingredients:
1 pound codfish without bones
2/3 cup flour
1 large egg
1 onion diced
1/2 t garlic powder
2 t baking powder
water
cooking oil

Directions:
If you don't have unsalted codfish, BOIL IT FIRST! Drain the water and then boil and drain again to remove the salt. It is an EXTREMELY salty fish if you don't.

Shred the fish into small pieces and blend all the remaining ingredients together adding water until it is roughly the consistency of pancake batter. DO NOT MAKE IT WATERY.

In a fairly deep skillet preheat the oil. Ladle the mixture slowly into the hot oil (you are trying for medium sized biscuits)...be careful not to splash the oil and get burned! Turn bacalaitos to avoid burning.

When it appears to be cooked all the way through and the edges start to curl, you want to remove them from the pan. Remove some of the oil by laying them on paper towels.

Eat them while hot with a cup of coffee or just plain or however you choose to eat them!

Enjoy!

I like that, too. It's very much like a Caribbean fish fritter. Come to think of it, if it's from the south side of Puerto Rico it is a Caribbean fish fritter.

HEHE, they are also known in the States as being Cod Fish Fritters!

I prefer them when they're made with baccala -- salt cod. Of course, when they're Portugese they're made with bacalao.

We use bacalao...sometimes it is hard to find around here. Most generally if I want bacalao I have to go the the Asian store. Same with when I am trying to find malanga. Although we do have a new store that is probably more equipped than the older stores. I will have to go check it out!

Here where I am there is a very small population of Puerto Ricans...in fact, I wouldn't be surprised if all that are here are related to me!

If you make all that stuff regularly you can be related to me.

At least 3 times a week...weekends are normally family get together time and we cook enough food for an Army!

Breakfast:
Bacalaitos
coffee

Dinner or Supper:
Arroz con gandules or habichuelas
corn
pork chops
tostones

That is a real meal! By the time you are done with that...there is no room for anything else! Very yummy!

Where in the world do you get the pigeon peas?

Michael - you can find them at any spanish grocer. They are also called gandules. They are small pea looking beans. They are not as round as peas though...they are flatter. When they are cooked, they turn a brown color. If you look around where they have canned beans, you will be sure to find them. If you like to oder foods online you can go to:

http://www.goya.com/english/products/product.html?prodCatID=7&prodSubCatID=29

and purchase them.