250g / 8 oz salt cod ~ soaked, cooked & drained
125g / 4 oz / 1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 egg, lightly beaten
180 ml / 6 oz / 3/4 cup milk
15g / 1/2 oz / 1 tbsp butter melted
1 onion, grated finely
  

1 fresh red chili or bonny pepper, chopped fine, with or without seeds.
*** FIRE ALARM!!! Only add this ingredient if you're a true "Bajan"!!! This option is "HOT FUH DAYS"!!

Or, pepper sauce to taste.
  

Soak the cod overnight, change the water and simmer for 30 minutes, drain. Flake into small pieces or dice into 1/4 inch chunks (or smaller).

Beat the egg, milk and butter together in a small bowl.

Mix the flour & baking powder together in a large bowl or a large mixer bowl. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour in the egg, milk and butter mixture. Combine to a smooth batter.

Stir in the onion, chili and cooked cod.

Drop tablespoon-sized dollops of the mixture into a deep pan of hot olive oil and fry until golden brown. They can also be fried in shallow oil, but the effect is not the same.

Remove from the oil and drain on paper towels. With any West Indians in the house they will not be around very long.

But if you do need to hold them, freeze in a sealed container (or ZipLok bag), or place in a paper bag and keep refrigerated. Reheat in the oven or microwave, but use as soon as possible.
  

Tips:

The batter should be fairly stiff.

If the oil is slightly hotter than usual the outside will be especially crisp.

With or without peppers, these dollop-sized fishcakes are somewhat of a delicacy in Barbados... they are found in many roadside rum shops, and two or three are sometimes used as the filling in "saltbreads".

"Saltbreads", or "penny breads", are fist-sized and fairly stiff rolls used widely in Barbados for many years as the vehicles for what are called "Cutters"- bun-type sandwiches - that compose the lunch-time meal for thousands of working people in the islands.
  

150ml / 1/4 pint / 2/3 cup mayonnaise
2 tbs tomato puree
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp wholegrain mustard
  

Mix well and serve on the side with fish cakes. If desired, garnish the top with basil sprigs.

Great for any occasion...