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| Salt cod (bacalao) |
Bacalao (salt cod) must be part of the Spanish DNA. In medieval times, unless you lived less than a 24-hour mule ride from the coast, you probably never tasted fresh fish. Salt cod and other salt fish were the only seafood available to you.
"According to tax records in the city of Barcelona, 1,800,000 kippered sardines were sold in a single day, February 8, 1434, the first day of Lent." (That’s the introduction to the fish chapter in my newest cookbook, Flavors of al-Andalus, which also has lots of recipes for fresh fish!)
What’s amazing is that, even now, with fabulous fresh seafood everywhere in Spain, bacalao continues to be a favored ingredient.
Nevertheless, salt cod is not to everyone’s taste. In the recipe for Salt Cod Dip in the cookbook, I suggest the alternative of using canned tuna. Here's how that worked out.
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| I made the Salt Cod Dip recipe using canned tuna in place of cod. Here it is served as a first course accompanied by marinated cauliflower and crispy garlic toasts. |
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| Leftover tuna dip is spread on bread with cheese and pan-grilled with olive oil to make a very tasty tuna melt, |
Salt Cod Dip
Ajo Bacalao
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| The recipe that appears in FLAVORS OF AL-ANDALUS is made with salt cod. |
Cod is unknown in Mediterranean waters. But, thanks to seafaring Basques, who fished the cod banks off Newfoundland as early as the 9th century, cod in its salted, dried form has been ubiquitous in Spanish cooking from medieval times to the present.
This recipe with cod, bread, and olive oil makes a garlicky, creamy dip or schmear that might remind you of brandade or Greek taromosalata. This version comes from the Axarquía region east of Málaga and is a specialty of Semana Santa, Holy Week, when salt cod dishes are traditional.
In bygone times, the dish was made in a lebrillo, a large clay bowl, or with a wooden mortar, the ingredients mashed together with a pestle. Nowadays, a food processor makes quick work of it. It’s a good recipe to make when you have scraps of salt cod left from cutting up a whole fish for another recipe.
As prepared in present times, a big spoonful of pimentón is added to the dip, giving it a nice ruddy color. Pimentón would not have been available in Moorish times, so, if you like, include a mashed carrot or two to add color to the mix.
The resulting thick spread can be slathered on bread or toasts for a satisfying snack, spread on crisp crackers as a canapé or dipped with breadsticks. Serve it as a luncheon entrée with artichokes, quartered hard-boiled egg and lettuce.
Unless you obtain cod that is already desalted, you will need to start preparations a day or two before making the dip, as the cod needs to soak in water to remove salt and soften the flesh. Small pieces need only 12 hours soaking. If you have a thick, loin cut of bacalao, it may need as long as 48 hours to soften and lose excess salt. Salt cod needs very little cooking on gentle heat.
If salt cod is not your thing, you could make the recipe substituting canned tuna. Skip the steps for soaking and cooking the salt cod. Use a little water or stock to soak the bread.
8 ounces dry salt cod or 2 (5-ounce) cans tuna, drained
2 cloves garlic
1 or 2 cooked carrots (optional)
2 ½ cups diced day-old bread (5 ounces)
1 cup cod cooking liquid
Pinch of ground cloves
Freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice
Salt, to taste
Olives and hard-boiled eggs to garnish (optional)
Bread, toast, breadsticks or crackers to serve
Wash the cod and cut it into 1-inch pieces, discarding any skin and bones. Place the cod in a bowl. Cover with cold water. Refrigerate, covered, 12 hours, changing the water twice.
Drain and rinse the pieces of cod. Place them in a pan and cover with 2 cups of water. Bring the water to a simmer (bubbling gently) and cook 1 minute. Drain, saving the cod cooking liquid. When the cod is cool, flake it with the fingers. Reserve the cod and the cooking liquid.
Finely chop the garlic and carrot, if using, in a food processor. Add the bread and ½ cup of the reserved cod cooking liquid. Let it set 5 minutes to soften the bread. Process until the bread is a smooth paste, adding additional cooking liquid, as needed. Season with cloves and pepper. With the processor running, slowly add the oil. Process until the oil is completely absorbed and the mixture is very smooth. Add the lemon juice to make a smooth, thick cream.
Add the flaked cod and pulse the mixture to combine the cod. The cod does not have to be completely pureed. Taste and add salt if necessary.
Cover and refrigerate the cod until serving time or up to 3 days. Garnish with olives and sliced egg, if desired. Serve with bread, toasts, breadsticks or crackers.
More recipes with salt cod (bacalao):
FLAVORS OF AL-ANDALUS
The Culinary Legacy of Spain
FLAVORS OF AL-ANDALUS, The Culinary Legacy of Spain. Here's a fresh angle on the traditional cooking of Spain, with 120 recipes that trace their roots to Moorish Spain. See below for where to order.
This cookbook explores the fascinating story of the deep and lasting influences that Islamic culture has left on modern Spanish cooking.
Author and Spanish cooking expert Janet Mendel tells the story of the Moorish influence on Spanish cooking through 120 recipes and photographs for modern-day dishes, from salads and vegetables to fish, poultry and meat to sweets and pastries, that trace their heritage to foods served in medieval times. Dishes from this era include exotic spices such as saffron, the use of fruits and almonds with savory dishes, and honeyed sweets and pastries. The flavors of al-Andalus live on in modern Spanish cooking and are what makes Spain’s cuisine distinctive from the rest of Europe. (Hippocrene Books)
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