Cherne (wreckfish) is one of most prized fish on Lanzarote. With firm, tasty, white flesh, it’s always popular at celebrations and fiestas. As it’s not always a regular catch, it is often dried and salted, which also adds deeper flavour.
Ingredients: 4 cloves garlic, 1 bunch of parsley, 400 g of salted cherne (cherne salado) with skin, 300 ml of water, 150 g of butter, 3 eggs, 250 g of regular wheat flour, 1 litre of olive oil or sunflower oil.
Method:
The Day Before: Put the salted cherne into a large bowl of fresh water and soak for 24 hours, changing the water at least once (twice is even better).
The Cooking Day: Peel and chop the garlic finely and set aside. Chop the parsley finely and set aside. Separate the cherne flesh from the skin (keep the skin), chop it finely and reserve in the fridge. Pour the water into a saucepan with the skin and bring the water to boil. Simmer for 15 min. Discard the skin.
Melt the butter in the water. Once melted, add the flour and stir everything until you get a smooth texture. Cool this mixture down for 15 mins and then add the eggs, one by one.
Add the cherne flesh, garlic and parsley to your dough and mix everything together well. Heat the oil in a saucepan and once it’s hot, fry tablespoon-sized dollops of the batter. Fry it until they are golden and serve hot!
Chef’s Tip:
Use a sieve to pour your flour into your mixture to avoid lumps.
Don’t cook too many fritters at the same time, as this can lower your oil temperature.
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