Inspired by both Mexican and Portuguese cuisine, this recipe is perfect to serve to friends coming over to visit. It´s both simple and elegant, and easy to combine with other small dishes. The recipe is from restaurant Sociedade in Parede, Lisbon.
Ingredients
500 g shredded codfish, Terra do Bacalhau
300 g sweet potato, finely sliced
1 bay leaf
Olive oil, extra virgin
300 g requeijão (use a mild ricotta to substitute)
Chives, to taste
Dill, to taste
Spheres of lemon, to decorate
Fried codfish skin, to decorate (optional)
Salt
Pepper
How to
- Always start by soaking the codfish according to instruction before preparing. Bring water to a boil, add bay leaf and a splash of olive oil, turn down the heat and let the cod simmer for 5 minutes. Strain and set the water aside. and let cool down on kitchen paper that soaks up excess water.Use your fingers to shred the cod even more finely.
- To prepare the mousse, add requeijão or ricotta to cod, and season with chopped chives, salt and pepper. Mix well. Bring to the boil the water previously used to simmer the cod. Form small spoon-shaped balls (quenelles) and poach them briefly in the simmering water.
- Deep-fry the sweet potato slices in hot oil until they are slightly golden and tender. Scoop them out and let them soak up excess oil on kitchen paper.
- Place a ball (quenelle) on top of each fried sweet potato slice and decorate with some dill, chives, lemon spheres and fried codfish skin.
- You can serve this dish as a starter or as a tapas dish.
