naturally, the most important ingredient, for making the bolinhos de bacalhau, is the salted cod, which can be bought at many specialty markets throughout the city.

the other ingredients, which are essential to the recipe are simply potatoes, eggs, parsley, salt, pepper, and good quality oil - some recipes include a variety of additional ingredients, such as onions, or bay leafs, which are used to give the bolinhos a distinction with the traditional recipe.

the method for making the balls is time-consuming, and lasts over 24 hours, as the first step is to soak the cod for at least one full day.