Portuguese · Seafood
Fish fofos
Portuguese fish croquettes made with flaked white fish, potato, and spices, shaped into logs and coated in breadcrumbs before frying. These golden appetizers are served with fresh onion salad and mango chutney for a complete flavor experience.
The Method
Instructions
First things first, grab a lidded pan and place the haddock inside. Pour in just enough water to cover the fish completely. Now, set your pan over a low heat and bring the water to a gentle simmer. This is not a boil, so keep it nice and gentle to let the fish poach slowly and evenly. Keep the lid on and let the fish poach for about 10 minutes . You'll know it's done when the fish flakes easily with a fork. Once it's ready, carefully drain the water and use a fork to flake the fish into bite sized pieces. This gentle poaching keeps the fish tender and moist, perfect for these fofos.
Next up, in a large mixing bowl, combine the flaked fish, cooked and mashed potato, finely chopped green chilli, fresh coriander leaves, cumin seeds, a pinch of freshly ground black pepper, crushed garlic, and grated ginger. Season the mixture with a little salt to bring all those flavors together. Now, add the rice flour to the bowl and give everything a good mix to combine well. Crack in one egg and stir the mixture thoroughly; this will help bind all the ingredients nicely. Once your mixture feels well combined, divide it into about 15 equal portions. Take each portion and gently shape it into small logs. To get your fofos ready for frying, crack the remaining eggs into a bowl and whisk them lightly. Pour some breadcrumbs into a separate bowl. One by one, dip each fofo into the beaten egg, allowing the excess to drip off, then coat it evenly with the breadcrumbs. Once all are coated, pop them in the fridge to chill for about 20 minutes . This chilling step helps the coating stick better and keeps the fofos from falling apart when frying.
Now for the cooking part, heat about 1cm of vegetable oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. You want the oil hot enough to sizzle when you add the fofos, but not so hot that they burn too quickly. Fry the fofos in batches, taking care not to crowd the pan. Cook each side for about 2 minutes , turning gently with tongs or a spatula to get an even, beautiful golden brown color all over. The fofos should develop a crispy crust while staying soft and flavorful inside. Once cooked, transfer them to a plate lined with kitchen paper to drain off any excess oil. Repeat this frying process with the remaining fofos.
To finish, whip up a simple and refreshing onion salad to serve on the side. Mix together thinly sliced onion, chopped fresh coriander, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, and a pinch of salt. Give it a quick toss and let those flavors mingle. The bright acidity and fresh herbs will perfectly complement the warm, spiced fofos. Serve everything up with some mango chutney on the side for a lovely sweet and tangy kick. Trust me, this combo is a total winner and brings a taste of Portugal right to your table.
Next up, in a large mixing bowl, combine the flaked fish, cooked and mashed potato, finely chopped green chilli, fresh coriander leaves, cumin seeds, a pinch of freshly ground black pepper, crushed garlic, and grated ginger. Season the mixture with a little salt to bring all those flavors together. Now, add the rice flour to the bowl and give everything a good mix to combine well. Crack in one egg and stir the mixture thoroughly; this will help bind all the ingredients nicely. Once your mixture feels well combined, divide it into about 15 equal portions. Take each portion and gently shape it into small logs. To get your fofos ready for frying, crack the remaining eggs into a bowl and whisk them lightly. Pour some breadcrumbs into a separate bowl. One by one, dip each fofo into the beaten egg, allowing the excess to drip off, then coat it evenly with the breadcrumbs. Once all are coated, pop them in the fridge to chill for about 20 minutes . This chilling step helps the coating stick better and keeps the fofos from falling apart when frying.
Now for the cooking part, heat about 1cm of vegetable oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. You want the oil hot enough to sizzle when you add the fofos, but not so hot that they burn too quickly. Fry the fofos in batches, taking care not to crowd the pan. Cook each side for about 2 minutes , turning gently with tongs or a spatula to get an even, beautiful golden brown color all over. The fofos should develop a crispy crust while staying soft and flavorful inside. Once cooked, transfer them to a plate lined with kitchen paper to drain off any excess oil. Repeat this frying process with the remaining fofos.
To finish, whip up a simple and refreshing onion salad to serve on the side. Mix together thinly sliced onion, chopped fresh coriander, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, and a pinch of salt. Give it a quick toss and let those flavors mingle. The bright acidity and fresh herbs will perfectly complement the warm, spiced fofos. Serve everything up with some mango chutney on the side for a lovely sweet and tangy kick. Trust me, this combo is a total winner and brings a taste of Portugal right to your table.
Pairs Well With
