Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month: Food

Kicking off this year’s Hispanic Heritage Month celebration is Sociology Professor Fernando Rivera, Ph.D. director of the Puerto Rico Research Hub. Join Rivera as he shows us how to make a staple of Puerto Rican cuisine: bacalaitos. Bacalaitos, also known as fried codfish fritters, are flavorful and easy to make! Here’s how it’s done.

Bacalaitos Recipe 

1 lb salt cod fish

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoons adobo seasoning, with pepper (Goya)

2 cups water

1 teaspoon minced garlic clove

2 teaspoons cilantro

oil (for frying)

Directions:

1. Soak codfish in cold water in the refrigerator.(Change the water at least 3 times)
2. Drain, rinse with cold water several times.
3. In a saucepan, cover codfish with water, bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Cool, remove skin and bones.
5. Shred the fish.
6. In a bowl make a batter by whisking together the flour, adobo and water.
7. When smooth, mix in garlic, cilantro and shredded fish.
8. Check for seasoning, if necessary add some more pepper or the adobo with pepper.
9. In a skillet, heat 1/4″ of oil on medium heat.
10. Drop the batter by spoonsful into hot oil and cook until golden brown.
11. Drain on paper towel.
12. Enjoy!

Recipe Source: https://www.food.com/recipe/bacalaitos-fried-codfish-fritters-156643

The mission of the UCF Puerto Rico Research Hub is to investigate the Puerto Rican population and demographic trends to better inform public policy decisions including housing demands, job creation, health issues, social integration and education. Additional areas of emphasis include bilingual training, disaster response, and recovery, and partnerships in the community. To learn more, visit their website or follow them on Facebook, Instagram or YouTube.