Bakaliaros me Skordalia

Ingredients

• 600g salt cod fillet
• 600g floury potatoes
• 5 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp salt
• 150ml extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 150g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• 50g cornflour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 250ml cold lager
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 700ml sunflower oil, for frying
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges

Before you cook

• Soak the salt cod in a bowl of cold water in the fridge for 24 to 48 hours, changing the water four or five times.
• Drain the cod, pat it thoroughly dry, pull out any bones and cut it into 5cm pieces.
• Peel the potatoes and cut them into even chunks.
• Peel the garlic cloves.

Steps

1. Put the potatoes in a pot of cold salted water and bring it to the boil.
2. Simmer them for about 20 minutes, until a knife slides through without resistance.
3. Pound the garlic with the salt in a mortar until it becomes a smooth white paste.
4. Drain the potatoes and mash them straight away, or push them hot through a ricer.
5. Beat the garlic paste into the potato.
6. Pour in the olive oil in a thin stream, beating steadily with a wooden spoon.
7. Beat in the vinegar and lemon juice, and stop the moment the skordalia turns glossy, because worked any longer the potato goes gluey.
8. Whisk the flour, cornflour and baking powder together in a bowl.
9. Pour in the cold beer and the tablespoon of olive oil and whisk to a smooth batter about as thick as double cream.
10. Heat the frying oil in a deep pan to 180C.
11. Dust the cod pieces in a little extra flour, then dip them in the batter and let the excess run off.
12. Lower four or five pieces into the oil and fry them for 4 minutes, until puffed and deep gold.
13. Drain the fritters on a wire rack and fry the rest the same way.
14. Serve the cod straight away with the skordalia alongside and lemon wedges to squeeze over.