Considering that the recipe for codfish cakes needs potatoes their appearance is related to the introduction of potatoes in Portugal. In the south of Portugal they are called pastries while in the north they are called cakes. They originate from Minho.
According to gastronome Virgílio Nogueiro Gomes, these cakes were only introduced when potatoes arrived in Portugal. The first report of potatoes in Portugal dates back to 1760 and only in 1798 did Queen Mary I publish an encouragement for the plantation of potatoes in the Azores.
The first recipe for codfish cakes only appeared in 1841. This recipe was found in the book Arte do Cozinheiro e do Copeiro by the Viscount of Vilarinho de S. Romão and did not comply with the current recipe for codfish cakes.
Two recipes similar to the current one only appeared in 1876, in the book Arte de Cozinha by João da Mata: ‘Dutch-style codfish fried cakes’ and ‘Codfish Cakes’. One could tell a few differences: the first recipe also included cheese and the second recipe was not fried but rather cooked in the oven like the ‘Pastel de Nata’. Codfish cakes were first fried in a compilation by J.M. Sousa Pereira with the title A Cozinha Moderna (1903), but they were fried in pork butter.
In the following year, Carlos Bento da Maia introduced a standard recipe in the book Tratado de Cozinha e de Copa, which was called ‘Bacalhau em bolos enfolados (codfish in covered cakes)’, hence the designation of ‘codfish cakes’. This recipe uses milk to connect the codfish with the potatoes and it whisks the egg whites, which ought to be fried in olive oil.
From this date on, the ‘codfish cakes’ became forever present in Portuguese recipe books. Categorised authors like Maria de Lourdes Modesto and Maria Emília Cancella de Abreu say that it originates from Minho. A Cultura Gastronómica em Portugal from CFPSA and A Cozinha do Minho by Alfredo Saramago also consider this delight as originating from Minho.
Cook the codfish and let it cool down, then place it inside a cloth, knead it making sure you shred it well. Remove all skin and bones. Chop the onion and garlic and sauté slightly in olive oil. Stir the mashed potatoes, purée, and mixture. Mix it all well.
Then add the eggs and season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir it well and shape the cakes with the help of two spoons. Fry them in hot oil or freeze them and remove excess liquid with absorbent paper.
VVAA (2016). As melhores receitas de Bacalhau – Ideias para + de 100 refeições. Impala
Modesto, M. de L. (1990). Cozinha Tradicional Portuguesa. Lisboa: Editorial Verbo