Haitian Pate (Salt Codfish Patties) (2024)

Haitian Pate

For the dough:

• 1 cup cold water
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp white vinegar
• 1 cup lard
• 1 egg

For the filling:

• 1 lb dried salted cod
• 1 onion
• 4 garlic cloves
• ½ scotch bonnet pepper
• 1 shallot
• ¼ tsp thyme
• 2 tsp parsley
• ¼ tsp rosemary
• 1 tsp lime juice
• ½ cup water
• 1 tsp white vinegar
• ½ tsp ground pepper
• 1 tsp adobo seasoning
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tsp olive oil

• Put the fish in a large pot and cover it with water. Allow it to sit and soak for 2 hours.

• Drain the water from the fish and replace it with fresh water.

• Put the pot with the water and fish on high heat and bring to a boil. Let it boil for 20 minutes, then drain the water.

• Once the fish has cooled off enough to touch, use your hands to flake it apart into a new bowl and set aside.

• To make the dough, add the salt and 2 cups of flour into a large mixing bowl. Mix with a whisk then make a well in the center.

• Pour in 1 cup of water and 1 tbsp of vinegar into the well. Mix with your hands until combined.

• Cover a large surface area or countertop with flour and dump the dough on top.

• Knead the dough for 2 minutes or until it becomes fully incorporated, firm, and sticks together.

• Roll the dough into a ball and cover it with plastic wrap. Put it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

• Remove the dough from the fridge and roll it out to a ¼ inch thick rectangle on the floured surface.

• Smear the lard on the surface of the dough, leaving an inch margin around the edges.

• Fold the dough into thirds (like a letter) and place it on a baking tray. Cover it and put it in the fridge for a minimum of 30 minutes.

• Take the dough and roll it out again the same way.

• Fold as before, then put it back in the fridge for another 30 minutes.

• Repeat the rolling, folding, and fridge for 5 more times (give or take a couple, depending on how tired you’re getting). The more folding, the more layers.

• Refrigerate again.

• Finely chop the parsley, thyme, rosemary, scotch bonnet pepper (but make sure to deseed and destem it first), shallot, and garlic. Dice the onion.

• In a skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat.

• Add all the diced and chopped ingredients and stir for a minute or until the onion becomes translucent.

• Add to the skillet the cod, lime juice, ½ cup of water, vinegar, pepper, and adobo.

• Stir everything together to make sure the flavors mix, then cook for around 10 minutes. While it cooks, continue stirring so everything cooks evenly and nothing sticks to the pan.

• Add the tomato paste to the skillet and stir into everything else. Cook for another minute then remove from heat.

• Preheat the oven to 400F and prep a large baking tray with parchment paper.

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• Remove the dough from the fridge and roll it out, leaving it ½ inch thick.

• Cut out the dough into squares or circles about 2 ½ inch across. I find the easiest way to do this is with a pizza roller, cutting the dough like a grid, so I get a lot of squares at once.

• Put a spoonful of cod filling on one side of each dough square before folding the other side over.

• Press the edges of the dough together with the prongs of a fork.

• Put each shaped patty onto the prepped baking tray.

• Whisk an egg and use a pastry brush to brush it over the top of each patty.

• Put in the oven and bake for 45 minutes, or until the top of the dough is golden and flaky.

• Allow to cool on a wire rack before serving.