Fried Salt Cod with Skordalia (Μπακαλιάρος σκορδαλιά) — Crisp cod with garlicky potato dip

• 900 gsalt cod (boneless, skinless) (cut into 6 pieces)
• 2000 mlcold water (for soaking; change 3 times)
• 180 gall-purpose flour
• 40 gcornstarch (for extra crispness)
• 6 gbaking powder
• 2 gfine sea salt (adjusted low because the fish retains some salt)
• 1 tspground black pepper
• 260 mlsparkling water (very cold) (kept chilled for a lighter crust)
• 15 mlextra virgin olive oil (optional, for flavor)
• 900 mlsunflower oil (for deep-frying)
• 1lemon (cut into wedges)
• 700 grusset potatoes (peeled)
• 20 ggarlic cloves (about 5 large cloves)
• 20 mlwhite wine vinegar
• 15 mllemon juice
• 60 mlwarm potato cooking water (to loosen texture)

Instructions

1. 1

   Desalt the cod: rinse the salt cod under cold running water for 30 seconds, then place it in a nonreactive container. Cover with 2000 ml cold water and refrigerate for 12 hours, changing the water every 4 hours; this gradually removes salt without washing out all flavor.

2. 2

   Drain the cod and pat it very dry with paper towels, pressing gently so the surface is not wet. Keep the pieces chilled while you prepare the skordalia, because cold fish fries cleaner and helps the batter set quickly.

3. 3

   Make the skordalia base: place the potatoes in a pot, cover with fresh water, and boil until very tender, about 18–22 minutes. Drain well and let the steam escape for 3 minutes so excess moisture evaporates, which prevents a gluey dip.

4. 4

   Mash and emulsify: pass the hot potatoes through a ricer or mash until completely smooth, then add 6 g salt. Pound or finely grate the garlic to a paste, mix it into the potatoes, and then slowly stream in 90 ml olive oil while stirring to form a thick, glossy emulsion.

5. 5

   Balance and adjust texture: stir in the vinegar and lemon juice, then add 60 ml warm potato cooking water in small additions until the skordalia is creamy but still holds its shape. Cover and keep at cool room temperature for up to 2 hours, because chilling too hard can dull the garlic aroma.

6. 6

   Prepare the batter: whisk flour, cornstarch, baking powder, 2 g salt, and black pepper in a bowl until evenly combined. Add the very cold sparkling water and 15 ml olive oil, whisking just until smooth; stop as soon as the batter comes together to avoid developing gluten.

7. 7

   Heat the frying oil: pour 900 ml sunflower oil into a deep pot and heat to 180°C. Maintain this temperature as steadily as possible, because cooler oil makes the crust oily while overly hot oil browns the batter before the fish warms through.

8. 8

   Batter and fry: dip each cod piece into the batter, letting excess drip back into the bowl for 3 seconds. Fry in batches for 5–7 minutes total, turning once, until deeply golden and crisp; transfer to a rack and rest 2 minutes so the crust stays crunchy.

9. 9

   Serve immediately: plate the fried cod with a generous spoon of skordalia and lemon wedges. Squeeze 1–2 tsp lemon juice per portion right before eating, because the acidity brightens the rich fried crust and sharp garlic.