The day before, put the salt cod in a container and pour in enough cold water to cover. Leave overnight and change the water at least twice to extract as much salt as possible.
The next day, when ready to cook, peel and cut the potatoes into 1cm-thick slices. Boil in a pan of unsalted water over a medium heat for around 15 minutes or until cooked through. Drain and leave to dry.
Finely chop the rehydrated salt cod and the fresh cod, removing any bones. Mix with the chives and garlic by hand or using a blender or food processor. Add the egg and boiled potatoes and mash together – if the mixture is a bit loose, add the flour. Set aside for at least 10 minutes while you heat the oil.
Pour enough oil into a deep pan to cover the base by about 3cm. Heat until a cube of day-old bread dropped into the oil turns golden in around 30 seconds. Alternatively, heat a deep fryer to 180C. Drop tablespoonfuls of the mixture into the hot oil and fry, in batches, for up to 2 minutes until they float and turn light golden. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Serve with the alioli or romesco sauce.
RECIPES AND PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN FROM SPANISH MADE EASY BY OMAR ALLIBHOY, PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARTIN POOLE (QUADRILLE, £22).
