How To Make The Guadeloupe Islands' Caribbean Accras (AKA Codfish Fritters)

There's so much to love about the Guadeloupe Islands that it's difficult to name just one thing that takes the cake—or maybe the Tourment d'Amour. But since we're talking about food now, let's just say that the French Caribbean archipelago's cuisine is so creative and cherished by its people that you can plan an entire vacation around the local food and drinks.

This is especially true for foodies who can't get enough of fresh seafood dishes, because almost every restaurant in the resorts on Grande-Terre and around the beaches of Basse-Terre—and especially the quaint little walk-up shops beyond the ferry terminal on Terre-de-Haut—serves something that is sure to leave guests wanting, maybe even demanding, more. In fact, if I close my eyes and think about it, I can still taste the Chicken Colombo I inhaled at one of the most adorable little beachside spots.

But this is about fresh seafood, and one of the most popular dishes you'll find here is Caribbean accras, or codfish fritters. Packed with flavor, this dish will do the trick as an appetizer or entrée, and now you can master it with this recipe that comes directly from the Guadeloupe Islands.

Ingredients:

• 200g salt fish
• 100g flour
• Water
• 1 bay leaf
• 30g garlic
• 100g onion
• 40g scallion
• 50g soft pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 eggs

How to Make It:

1) Prepare the Codfish:

• Rinse the salt under cold running water.
• Place the fish in a large bowl and cover it with cold water to desalt.
• Refrigerate for 24 hours, changing the water three times in the process.
• Drain.
• Put the fish into a small pan, cover with cold water, add a bay leaf and poach the cod 10 minutes over heat.
• Drain it in a sieve.
• Crumble the fish into very small pieces with olive oil.

2) Donut Batter:

• Put the flour into a large bowl, mix with water in order to obtain a smooth paste.
• Let the paste stand for one hour.

3) Prepare the Herbs and Spices:

• Wash and peel the garlic cloves, onions, scallions and soft pepper.
• Chop the ingredients finely.

4) Make the Batter:

• Combine the flour paste, crumbled fish and finely chopped ingredients.
• Separate egg yolks from the whites and add them to the cod mixture.
• Beat the whites into a firm peak. Add carefully to the paste.

5) Fry:

• Heat the frying oil at 180C.
• With a tablespoon, take the batter and drop it directly into the oil. Fry the accras until the color turns brown on a side, then flip it over.
• Drain on a baking sheet and serve immediately.