How to Make Guadeloupe's Cod Fritters and Dog Sauce

Guadeloupe's variety of spices help create depth and character in local dishes. 

This ubiqutous dish will have you craving more and more

One of my favorite indulgences in the islands of Guadeloupe is cod fritters smothered in something the locals call dog sauce. Dog sauce is a ubiquitous spicy, garlicy glaze that goes with just about any Guadeloupian dish. They say it’s so good, you’ll drool like a dog for it.

Cod Fritters Recipe

1 lb salt cod
2 scallions
3 garlic cloves
1 spicy chili pepper of your choice (habanero or scotch bonnet work great)
2½ cups flour
6 eggs
Salt
Pepper
Vegetable oil for frying

Creating cod fritters from scratch is a labor of love that requires you to desalt the cod fish 24 hours in advance. To do so, place the salt cod in a bowl and submerge in cold water. Cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator. Change out the water as many times as possible, but at least three times overall. 

The next day, boil the cod fish, debone it and crumble the fish into fine pieces and place aside in a bowl. 

Next, chop 2 raw scallions, 3 garlic cloves and a spicy pepper of your choice and set them aside.

Begin your batter in a separate bowl. Pour 2½ cups of flour and gradually pour in a cup of water. It should reach the consistency of pancake batter. 

Mix in your chopped vegetables and cod. Stir vigorously, evenly distributing the ingredients. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Prepare a medium-size pot for frying. Pour in 4 inches of vegetable oil and heat to 365 degrees Fahrenheit while you continue to work on your cod fritters mixture.

Add the yolks from 6 eggs into the mixture and stir. Save the egg whites in a separate bowl.

Use a hand-mixer to whip the egg whites until they are light and fluffy. Add two generous dollops of whipped egg whites to the mixture and stir. 

Now your batter is ready to be divided in to cookie dough-size balls. Spoon them into the batter, one batch at a time. 

Flip the fritters after about a minute to make sure that both sides turn a golden brown. Each batch should fry for approximately 2-3 minutes.

Dog Sauce Recipe

2 scallions
4 garlic cloves
½ white onion
1 carrot
1 spicy chili pepper of your choice (habanero or scotch bonnet work great)
1 lime
Vinegar
Olive Oil
Cumin
Salt
Pepper

Everyone has their own version of the recipe, but an easy way to throw together a bowl of dog sauce is to take the same kind of veggies you chopped to make the cod fritters, and add extra diced raw garlic, diced white onion, diced carrot and lime juice. 

Season it with cumin, salt and pepper to taste. 

Add a hefty amount of white vinegar and balance it with a little olive oil. And voila! You have your own version of dog sauce. 

Now for the best part. Tasting. Use your cod fritters as a vehicle for the dog sauce … and try not to drool too much. 

Guadeloupian Cooking Classes

While vacationing in the islands of Guadeloupe, you can learn how to make authentic Creole cuisine from a local chef. 

Chef Ruddy Colmar of Widdys restaurant will take you to the market in St. Francois to smell, taste and shop for fresh produce. Then, you’ll use the ingredients to make Guadeloupe’s traditional appetizers—cod fritters with dog sauce.

The experience takes the better part of the day (9 am to 2:30 pm) and costs 125€ per person. To book email Ruddy at auwiddys [at] hotmail.fr or send him a note via whatsapp +590690307011. Bon appetit!

Of course, cod fritters are best when they are made from fresh-caught fish. Image courtesy of the Guadeloupe Islands Tourist Board.

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My trip to Guadeloupe was made possible by Atout France. Views expressed are my own.