Baltimore coddies are essentially potatoes and codfish. The ones sold in every store in Baltimore through the first half of the 20th century apparently were mostly potato. I use salt cod which needs to be soaked for 24 hours in advance. I've included parsley if you feel the need for a fresh herb, but it seems a little uptown for a coddie. My husband the coddie aficionado, ate these when they came out of the frying pan and loved them. He tried them again the next day at room temperature and said they tasted just like those of his childhood. Remember, you MUST have a dab of yellow mustard for the full experience.
Makes: 16 to 20 coddies
Ingredients
1 pound salt cod
1 ¼ pounds potatoes
2 tablespoons milk
1 small onion, diced
2 tablespoons chopped parsley (optional)
1 tablespoon butter
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Salt to taste
Peanut oil (or other high-smoke-point oil), for frying
Saltines
Yellow mustard
In a bowl of water to cover, soak salt cod 24 hours, changing water every 6 to 8 hours. In a saucepan, place fish and cover with fresh water. Bring to a boil. Drain. Cover with water again and bring to a boil. Simmer 10 to 15 minutes. Drain and break up with a fork. Let cool. Peel, dice and boil potatoes until cooked. Drain and mash with milk to desired consistency. Cool. Saute onion and parsley (if using) in butter until wilted. Cool. In a large bowl, mix together fish, eggs, potatoes, onions (and parsley, if using), pepper and salt, to taste. In a large, heavy skillet, heat oil to just below smoking point. Make cod mixture into golf-ball sized balls and flatten slightly. Place in hot oil and cook until browned. Turn and brown other side. This takes almost no time so watch closely. On paper towel-covered platter, let coddies drain until cooled. Serve between two saltine crackers with a glob of yellow mustard.