Bunyols de bacallà
Catalan salt cod fritters: flakes of desalted bacallà folded into a light batter and deep-fried into puffy golden balls.
Bunyols de bacallà are the Catalan salt cod fritter — buñuelos de bacalao in Spanish. Desalted, flaked salt cod is folded into a soft batter, sometimes lifted with a little garlic and parsley, then spooned into hot oil where it puffs into airy, golden balls that are crisp outside and soft within. They belong to the Lenten tradition, when meat was off the table and salt cod stood in, but they turn up year-round as a tapa. A dab of allioli is the usual partner.
How it's served
Hot, as a tapa or starter, often with allioli. Traditional during Lent but eaten all year.
- Origin
- Catalonia
- Etymology
- Bunyol is Catalan for fritter; bacallà is salt cod.
Frequently asked
What is bacallà?
Bacallà is salt cod — cod preserved in salt, which has to be soaked and desalted before cooking. It is a cornerstone of Catalan and Spanish cooking, used in fritters, salads like esqueixada, and stews.
Are bunyols sweet or savoury?
Bunyols de bacallà are savoury — cod fritters eaten as a tapa. Confusingly, sweet bunyols also exist, especially the aniseed-scented ones eaten around Lent and local festivals, but those are a different, dessert version.
Related terms
- BacallàSalt-cured Atlantic cod. The backbone of Catalan, Basque and inland-Spanish cooking for centuries; soaked in water before use, then prepared a hundred different ways.
- CroquetasBreaded, deep-fried bites of thick béchamel mixed with chopped meat, fish or vegetables. The most-ordered tapa in Spain.
- AllioliPungent Catalan emulsion of garlic and olive oil. Traditionally no egg. Eaten with grilled meats, paella and fish.
- EsqueixadaA cold Catalan summer salad of shredded raw salt cod with tomato, onion, peppers and olives. Never cooked.