Spanish · Authentic-ish Spanish
Salt Cod Fritters
449 kcal a serving, against 575 for the traditional version. That is 126 kcal off, or 22%, with 82.2g of protein. Serves 4. 1 hour (plus overnight soaking).
What the traditional version is
The traditional fritter's a mixture of rehydrated salt cod, fluffy mashed potato, a generous whack of olive oil, and a hit of garlic and fresh parsley. The whole lot is loosely bound with egg, sometimes a spoonful of plain flour, then dropped by the spoonful into hot oil. You get ragged-edged, dangerously moreish fritters with a soft, almost creamy centre and that deep-fried crust everyone fights over.
What changed, and what each change costs
Deep-frying swapped for waffle iron
Deep-frying is unbeatable for that shell, but oil's the main culprit here. A waffle iron gives you a golden, crisp surface with less than a tenth of the fat absorbed.
What it costs you. The shape's wrong - you get squares, not little rugby balls. The crunch is less thunderous, but the centre stays soft and you won't find yourself scrubbing oil off the kitchen tiles.
Potato halved and replaced with more cod
The original's about 2:1 potato to cod, which keeps it cheap and fluffy. I've upped the cod so you're eating flaked fish, not mostly mash. You get a hefty boost of protein and a proper taste of the sea.
What it costs you. They're more savoury and a bit less pillowy in the middle. If you loved the creamy potato interior, you'll miss it here.
Eggs split, yolks ditched, and bind with egg white only
Egg yolk's rich but not essential for structure. Two egg whites give the binding and puff with far less fat.
What it costs you. You're robbed of a touch of richness but the fritters stay together. The colour's paler, but once they've tanned up in the iron, nobody'll notice.
Olive oil down from 48g absorbed to 6g, brushed
The waffle iron gives browning if you brush both plates with oil. Six grams is plenty to stop sticking and get some colour.
What it costs you. You'll never get that deep-fried chew or that little slick of oil on your fingers. If you want the real thing, you know what to do - but your arteries will know too.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 575 | 449 |
| Protein | 61.2g | 82.2g |
| Fat | 24.7g | 4.6g |
| Saturated fat | 4g | 0.8g |
| Carbohydrate | 24.4g | 14.4g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 10.6g | 18.3g |
Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish Spanish prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked.
Allergens. fish, eggs, gluten.
The method is in the book
If someone tells you these taste exactly like deep-fried buñuelos, they're lying or in marketing. But the cod flavour is clearer, they're crumbly, hot, and much less hassle to clean up. The protein jump isn't subtle - more cod, more bite. You'll miss that fried crunch, but your kitchen won't smell of chip shop. Serve to people who like fish and don't mind a flat fritter.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish Spanish, along with 57 more. It is not out yet. The swap kit is free in the meantime.