Made by: Kereesa

This has been a favourite comfort food of mine since childhood, but the recipe was a doozy to write. Not because I had to go back to my parents’ house to learn it, but rather because of the distinct lack of a recipe to begin with. I furiously tried to type it out, as my Jamaican-born parents argued back and forth about everything from the “measurements” (consisting mostly of pinches, throws and tastes) to the music volume in the kitchen. It sounded something like this:

Dad: Only add this much fish for now.

Mom: No. Don’t do that. Put in the whole thing, Kereesa.

(I’m frozen in position, hovering with a bowl of cod over the batter, not sure how to proceed.)

Dad: Nah, man. That’s too much fish. I make this all the time. (Which he does.)

Mom: You don’t know what you’re doing.

And so on. Yet, somehow, they turned out exactly as I’ve always loved them.

Recipe

Jamaican Fritters

Servings: 30 pieces

Prep time: 25 minutes

Cook time: 25 minutes

Total time: 50 minutes

Ingredients

10 ounces of boneless salted codfish
4 cups flour
2 tablespoons seasoning salt
1 teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon black pepper
3 cups room temp water (for batter)
2 stalks scallion/green onion, finely chopped
1 Scotch bonnet pepper, finely chopped (adjust based on desired heat level)
Canola/vegetable oil for frying

Directions

Boil the salted codfish in a pot of water for 5 minutes, to reduce the saltiness. Pour off the water and repeat. When the fish is finished its second 5-minute boil, strain and cool. Break up into small pieces and set aside.
Add flour to a large mixing bowl. Then add seasoning salt, salt, paprika and black pepper. Mix with a wooden spoon.
Add the room temperature water, and mix with spoon until it reaches a creamy consistency (like thick pancake batter). Stir in scallion and Scotch bonnet pepper.
Stir the codfish pieces into the batter.
Coat the bottom of a frying pan with oil over medium heat, and wait until oil is hot. Spoon batter into hot oil, trying to make fritters into a roundish shape, about 3 inches across.
Flip when golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes each side.
When fritters are cooked thoroughly, place each piece onto a napkin-covered plate, to absorb excess oil. Serve hot!

Beverage pairing

Do right by my parents and pair with an ice-cold Red Stripe.

In cod we trust:

Salted codfish originated on the coasts of Newfoundland and slowly worked its way down to the Caribbean.