In 1987, José Quitério mentioned in his book Livro de bem comer: crónicas de uma gastronomia portuguesa that codfish fritters are a Lisbon recipe.
Later on, in 1973, Maria Odete Cortes Valente introduced in her book Cozinha Regional Portuguesa codfish fritters as we currently know them, made with shredded codfish.
In around 1982, Maria de Lourdes Modesto included codfish fritters in her proclaimed book Cozinha Tradicional Portuguesa as an Extremadura dish.
Now in 1990, Lisbon’s First Gastronomy Contest included codfish fritters once again attesting to their Lisbon identity.
Once again, in 2014, Maria de Lourdes Modesto literally ‘dots the I’s and crosses the T's of codfish fritters’ in her book Sabores com Histórias, where she wrote: ‘Dotting the I’s and crossing the T’s of Codfish Fritters’: ‘I often use the word fritter to describe something that has been fried and is flat shaped like a cookie. Now, an appetiser, or amuse-bouche, which I enjoy so much rarely corresponds to what I have ordered. (…) They say that in the old days, 50 years ago, they used to be made with raw codfish, which had been soaked, shredded, and marinated in lemon and milk (...) They have also told me that codfish fritters have evolved – confirming the fact that cuisine is dynamic – and are now made with cooked cod (...)’
Often confused with diced codfish – made with a piece or the whole fillet –, fritters have plenty of history. As an appetiser or main course, with rice and beans or tomato rice, this small Portuguese delight is not insignificant once you have tasted it.
There are many fritter transmutations, where they are prepared with vegetables, shrimp, and even octopus, but the traditional codfish fritters will stay forever in the collective memory of Portuguese cuisine.
Sauté a chopped onion in olive oil. Add the soaked and shredded codfish with no skin or bones and chopped parsley. Season with pepper. Let it simmer and then remove from the heat. On the side, dissolve three tablespoons of flour in water and add a whole egg. Mix well. Mix the codfish in this battered mix.
Place a saucepan on the stove with very hot oil and fry the codfish fritters little by little (spoons) until they are brown.
Gomes, V. (2016). Pataniscas. Acedido a 18 de Março de 2020.
Guedes, F. (2001). As 100 maneiras de cozinhar Bacalhau e outros peixes. Lisboa: Publicações Dom Quixote, p. 63