Deep-fried salt cod & potato cakes
Bombas de bacalao
Many years ago, behind a plain, brown door in a tiny kitchen in the heart of Barcelona’s fishing quarter, a gastronomic bomb went off, grown men wept with delight, and mouths have been exploding ever since. La Cova Fumada in Barceloneta is said to be the birthplace of the humble ‘bomba’, and infamous for turning the common potato into a delicious ball of fire. The house offers up deep-fried balls of mashed potato in two varieties that promise to separate the men from the boys. El maricón, ‘the sissy’, comes doused in a subtle sauce of spice and aïoli. El macho needs no translation, and guarantees to put hairs on your chest. You will need to soak the salted cod in a water bath for 48 hours, changing the water at 12-hour intervals, before proceeding with this recipe.
MAKES 10
½ red chilli (for maricón version) or 3 red chillies (for macho version)
300 g (10½ oz) new potatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
150 g (5½ oz) salted cod, presoaked (see above), finely chopped
2 free-range eggs, whisked
150 g (5½ oz/11/3 cups) dry breadcrumbs
vegetable oil, for deep-frying
lemon wedges, for serving
To make the sauce to go with the bombas, put the peppers and chilli in a blender and blend until smooth. Set aside.
Cook the potatoes whole with the skin on in a large saucepan of boiling water for 15–20 minutes, depending on size, until soft.
Drain, allow to cool slightly, then peel. (In this cooking method the potato keeps its nutrients and flavour, and you don’t lose any flesh when peeling.)
Put the potatoes into a large bowl with the olive oil and parsley, and season with sea salt flakes and freshlty ground pepper. Mash until smooth. Add the cod, mix to combine, and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Cover and allow to cool in the fridge for 20 minutes.
When the potato mixture is chilled, put the egg and breadcrumbs into separate bowls. Roll the potato into 10 well-compacted balls, then coat in the egg, followed by the breadcrumbs.
Heat enough vegetable oil for deep-frying in a large saucepan over medium heat. After a few minutes, drop in a little egg and breadcrumb mixture; when it floats and turns golden-brown within 2 minutes the oil is at the right temperature (180°C/350°F). Deep-fry the bombas a few at a time until golden-brown, then drain on paper towel. Serve with a little piquillo sauce and lemon wedges.
Note
You can swap the salted cod with a little left-over bolognese sauce.
La CovaFumada, C/Baluard 56, Barceloneta.