After you pre-soak your salt cod, the first step is to cook the fish whole, with a bay leaf and parsley stems, in milk for 10 minutes. Cook the cod/milk mixture to just under a boil, decreasing the heat if the mixture gets too hot. You don’t want the mixture to boil over.
Once the mixture is cooked, remove the cod from the milk mixture. Strain the milk and set it aside for later.
Next, flake the cod by removing the flesh from the skin and bones, placing the flesh in a bowl as you remove it. Continue to tear the flesh until it reaches a flaky, consistency.
Place the matzo meal in a mixing bowl. Gradually pour in the strained milk until the two ingredients are incorporated. Add the parsley, eggs, onion and salt cod to the mix. Add the salt and pepper. Stir the ingredients until they form a loose batter.
Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium high heat until the oil reaches about 350°f / 180°c. Once the oil is heated, add the batter to the hot oil with a large spoon to form pancakes. Each pancake should be five to six inches (approximately 14 centimeters).
Cook each side of the latke until it’s golden brown. This step should take about three to four minutes per side.Remove the salt cod latkes from the pan and place them on a large paper towel lined plate or a wire rack. Allow them to drain for a few minutes.
Garnish the latkes with chopped fresh parsley and serve with ketchup of sour cream.
You’ll want to serve and eat the salt cod matzo meal latkes while they’re hot. And, while they’re ideal for the eight days of Passover, they taste great any day of the year.
