Salt Cod Matzo Meal Latkes
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After making Portuguese salt cod pancakes, we had an idea – why not make a ‘kosher for Passover’ version with matzo meal. And guess what? These Passover-friendly bacalhau latkes may taste even better than the classic Portuguese version.
As soon as we made our first batch of pataniscas de bacalhau at home, we immediately thought about making a kosher-for-Passover version. Subbing the recipe’s flour with matzo meal would surely work or so we hoped. Well, after just one bite, we were hooked. We now plan to make these ‘bacalhau latkes’ every year to welcome spring and celebrate the exodus.
When you think about it, the dish makes sense. Jews have a historical place in fried food throughout the European continent. It only seems logical that salt cod, one-of Europe’s great preserved products, would be something that Jews would want to fry. While we don’t know if pataniscas de bacalhau were invented by Jews, some historians credit Portuguese Jews who fled the Inquisition credit for introducting fish & chips to the Brits.
So with the recipe’s inspiration explained, let’s make Passover salt cod latkes!
Ingredients
To make Salt Cod Matzo Meal Latkes, you need the following ingredients
Ingredient quantities are detailed in the printable recipe card below.
How To Make Salt Cod Matzo Meal Latkes
After you pre-soak your salt cod, the first step is to cook the fish whole, with a bay leaf and parsley stems, in milk for 10 minutes. Cook the cod/milk mixture to just under a boil, decreasing the heat if the mixture gets too hot. You don’t want the mixture to boil over.
Once the mixture is cooked, remove the cod from the milk mixture. Strain the milk and set it aside for later.
Next, flake the cod by removing the flesh from the skin and bones, placing the flesh in a bowl as you remove it. Continue to tear the flesh until it reaches a flaky, consistency.
Place the matzo meal in a mixing bowl. Gradually pour in the strained milk until the two ingredients are incorporated. Add the parsley, eggs, onion and salt cod to the mix. Add the salt and pepper. Stir the ingredients until they form a loose batter.
Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium high heat until the oil reaches about 350°f / 180°c. Once the oil is heated, add the batter to the hot oil with a large spoon to form pancakes. Each pancake should be five to six inches (approximately 14 centimeters).
Cook each side of the latke until it’s golden brown. This step should take about three to four minutes per side.Remove the salt cod latkes from the pan and place them on a large paper towel lined plate or a wire rack. Allow them to drain for a few minutes.
Garnish the latkes with chopped fresh parsley and serve with ketchup of sour cream.
You’ll want to serve and eat the salt cod matzo meal latkes while they’re hot. And, while they’re ideal for the eight days of Passover, they taste great any day of the year.
Salt Cod Matzo Meal Latkes Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound. salt cod (from the loin, bone in – presoaked for about 2 days.)
- 1 cup matzo meal
- 1 bay leaf
- ¼ cup flat leaf parsley (finely chopped and stems set aside)
- 1 medium onion (finely chopped)
- pepper (to taste)
- salt (to taste)
- vegetable oil (about 1/2 inch in a frying pan)
- 1 whole egg
- 1 cup whole milk
Equipment
Instructions
- Cook the whole cod fish with the bones, parsley stems and bay leaf in the milk over low heat until flaky – about 10 minutes.
- Once cooked, remove the cod fish from the milk. Set the milk aside and let it cool for about 10 minutes. Pull the cod fish from the bones and shred into small flakes.
- Pour the matzo meal into a mixing bowl. Add the slightly cooled milk, parsley, egg, onions, cod fish, nutmeg, salt, pepper and stir until combined.
- Heat about a half inch of vegetable oil in a 12” saute pan over medium heat. Once the oil is heated, use a large spoon to spoon out the mixture into the oil and form latkes that are four to five inches in size. Cook the latkes until they're golden brown on both sides.
- Move the latkes to a wire rack or a plate topped with a paper towel. Let them drain for a few minutes.
- Garnish with diced parsley and serve.
Notes
- Presoak the salt cod for about two days, changing the water three to four times until the cod is pleasantly salty.
Nutrition
💡 Frequently Asked Questions
Salt cod matzo meal latkes are similar to Portuguese pataniscas de bacalhau. The key difference is that the latke recipe replaces flour with matzo meal.
We invented this recipe in our Portugal kitchen.
Salt Cod, Bay Leaf, Egg, Matzo Meal, Parsley, Pepper, Salt, Vegetable Oil (for frying) and Whole Milk
Salt cod matzo meal latkes work as a main course or starter. They’re an excellent dairy meal option during Passover; however, you’ll probably want to eat them all year long.
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