DO YOU DO BACALAO?

 

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.

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.

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

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):

Salt Cod with Cauliflower in Garlic Sauce (Ajada)

Cod Fritters with Molasses (Tortillitas con Miel de Caña)

Salt Cod in Garlic PilPil Sauce 

Salt Cod Catalan Style (a la Llauna)

Rice with Salt Cod and "Cobblestones" (Empedrado)(

Lenten Stew with Chickpeas, Salt Cod, and Chard

Salt Cod-Garlic Spread 

Andalusian Salt Cod with Tomato Sauce and Olives

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)    

 Order on IndiePubs (USA) 

Use PROMO CODE HIPPOCRENE40 for 40% off on all Hippocrene titles at IndiePubs online bookstore.

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THE ITERATIONS OF A COD SALAD

 

A Catalan springtime salad with salt cod, tuna, olives and a romesco dressing.

And, suddenly, it is spring! I’ve moved from soup to salad in the space of a week. Because it’s also the start of Semana Santa, Holy Week leading to the Easter festival, I am having my annual bacalao fest. 

Bacalao is dry salt cod. This year I have simplified prep by purchasing a package of bacalao desalado y desmigado—salt cod that has already been desalted and separated into small pieces. (See below for how-to proceed if you’re starting out with whole pieces of salt cod.) I looked to Catalonia for the salad inspiration.

Following are three salad recipes that all include cod. You can make each one separately or you can make a double portion of the first, simple, iteration and morph it into the more complex salads. 

The first iteration: esqueixada is shredded cod with chopped tomatoes and spring onions, studded with olives, dressed with extra virgin olive oil.

Ringing the changes: this is empedrat, meaning "cobblestones," so called because the salad is studded with cobbles of beans, olives, diced cod. 

Add chunks of tuna and strips of anchovies to the basic cod salad and serve it on a bed of escarole with a dressing of romesco sauce. This is xató, the same salad pictured at the top of the page.

Shredded Cod Salad

Esqueixada de Bacalao

Esqueixada looks a little like “exquisite,” but in fact means “shredded”—what you do to the salt cod after it has been desalted by soaking. 

Scraps of desalted cod for salad.

In theory, desalted cod does not need cooking, but I prefer to simmer it briefly to soften it and to eliminate any off-flavors. Add the desalted cod to simmering water for 1 minute. After draining well, pick through the scraps of cod to make sure there are no bits of bones remaining. 

If good salad tomatoes are not available this early in the season, try using cherry tomatoes in this salad. 

To emphasize the Catalan flavor, use Catalan Arbequina olive oil and olives and a Penedès (or cava) white wine vinegar.

Serves 4 as a starter.

1 (packed) cup pieces of desalted cod (8 ounces)

1 large tomato

1 or 2 spring onions or several scallions (½ cup chopped)

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

½ tablespoon white wine vinegar

Salt to taste

½ cup pitted black olives

First variation:

¼ cup diced green bell pepper

¼ cup diced red bell pepper

Bring a pan of water to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer. Add the cod and simmer 1 minute. Drain the cod, refresh in cold water and let it drain well in a colander. Pick through the pieces of cod, removing any bits of skin or bone and pull the flesh into bite-size pieces.

Peel tomatoes for salad.

Peel the tomato and cut it into small dice. Place the tomato in a bowl. Slice or dice the onions or scallions and add to the tomatoes. Add the shredded cod, saving a few larger pieces to garnish the salad. Add the oil, vinegar and salt to taste. Mix in the olives. Chill the salad.

To serve, spread the salad on a platter. Place a few larger pieces of cod on top. 

Same salad with added green and red peppers.

The first variation of the salad calls for the addition of diced green and red pepper to the tomatoes and spring onion mix. They add color and crunch.

“Cobblestone” Salad with Cod and Beans

Empedrat

Add cooked white beans and hard-cooked eggs to the original cod salad for a substantial lunch dish.

In Catalonia, this would be made with small white beans called mongetes. Any white beans or black-eyed peas can be used. If using canned beans, drain and rinse them before dressing with oil and vinegar. Make the esqueixada salad, above, with the olives. Add it to the beans and garnish with hard-boiled eggs. A new iteration. This would make a good lunch salad.

Serves 4.

2 cups cooked and drained white beans

1 clove garlic, minced

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Finely chopped parsley

2 cups of esqueixada cod and tomato salad (recipe above)

2 hard-boiled eggs

Place the beans in a bowl. Add the garlic, oil and vinegar. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 

Immediately before serving, add 1 tablespoon parsley to the beans. Spread the beans on a platter. Spoon the esqueixada (cod, tomatoes, onions, olives) over the beans. Cut the eggs in half and garnish the platter. Sprinkle with additional parsley.

Cod and Tuna Salad with Romesco Dressing

Xató

This salad includes some of the same ingredients as the original esqueixada—cod, tomatoes, olives—with the addition of tuna and anchovies. They are spread on a bed of escarole and dressed with romesco sauce. 

Romesco dressing for the xató salad.

For the romesco dressing:

Make this sauce with all almonds or, if you like hazelnuts, use part almonds, part hazelnuts. It’s customary to toast them lightly, giving them depth of flavor and making them easier to grind in a mortar. (I quit on the mortar and switched to the food processor.) 

The basic recipe makes a thick, heavy sauce. To make it easier to mix with salad ingredients, thin the romesco with water. (The un-thinned sauce makes a sensational dip, for chips or celery sticks.)

Ñoras are a dried, bittersweet pepper (not hot). Reconstitute them by cooking/soaking, then scraping the pulp from inside the peppers. If ñoras aren’t available, use a heaping tablespoon of pimentón (sweet paprika) stirred to a paste in 2 tablespoons of water. 

The romesco dressing can be made in advance and kept at room temperature for 1 day. If to be stored longer, refrigerate, covered, but bring to room temperature before using.

Almonds and ñora peppers.

2 ñoras (see above for substitution)

½ cup almonds and hazelnuts

1 slice baguette

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

2 cloves garlic

½ teaspoon salt

Pinch of cayenne

Pinch of dried mint

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

¼ to ½ cup ñora liquid or water, to thin the sauce

Scrape pulp from ñoras.

Remove stems and seeds from the ñoras. Place them in a small pan with water, bring to a boil and simmer 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the ñoras to soak 1 hour.

Skim the ñoras out, saving the liquid. Spread the ñoras open on a cutting board. Scrape the pulp from the shells. Discard the skins. Chop the pulp.

Lightly toast the almonds and hazelnuts in a small skillet. Place the slice of bread in a small bowl and add the vinegar. Soak the bread until it is softened. Squeeze it out and discard the vinegar.

Grind the almonds/hazelnuts in a mortar or food processor. Add the pulp from the ñoras (or the pimentón paste), the garlic, salt, cayenne and mint. Process until smooth. Add the oil and process until emulsified. Add enough liquid to thin the sauce to the consistency of heavy cream.

For the xató salad:

You can use the Esqueixada salad (recipe above) with its cod, tomatoes and olives. Use a slotted spoon to add it to the greens so the excess dressing doesn’t thin the romesco.Otherwise, start with pieces of cod and add tomatoes and olives.

Escarole or other salad greens

1 cup esqueixada or pieces of desalted cod

½ cup drained chunks of light tuna

Anchovy fillets

Black olives

Sliced tomatoes

Romesco dressing

Spread the escarole on a platter. Scatter the pieces of cod and tuna on top. Add strips of anchovies, olives and tomatoes.  Top with spoonfuls of romesco dressing or serve the dressing separately for each person to mix with the salad.

Mix the romesco dressing with the greens and pieces of fish.

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A whole split of bacalao--dry salt cod.

To prepare bacalao from scratch:

Start desalting the salt cod one to three days before you intend to use it (less time for smaller pieces). Scrape off surface salt and wash the fish in running water. Put it in a bowl and cover with water. Soak the bacalao, covered and refrigerated, 24 to 48 hours, changing the water three times a day. Each time you change the water, wash the fish under running water, squeeze it gently and wash out the container.

After soaking, place the pieces of bacalao on a clean towel and cover with another to soak up excess water. Remove scales and bones. The skin may be required for some dishes, as its gelatinous quality thickens the sauce. Big chunks are usually cooked whole, but scraps can be cooked, de-boned and used in fritters, fish balls and salads.

More recipes with romesco:

Artichoke Salad with Romesco.

Grilled Onions with Romesco (Calçotada).

Another "cobblestones" recipe (plus links to eight more bacalao recipes):

Rice with Salt Cod and Beans.

Another salad with salt cod:

Andalusian Orange and Cod Salad.

BACALAO IS COMING ‘ROUND AGAIN

With Semana Santa (Holy Week) about to begin (tomorrow is Domingo de Ramos—Palm Sunday), I am looking through my files of bacalao recipes. Bacalao—dry salt cod—is the most emblematic food for Holy Week everywhere in Spain. That’s because, in bygone times, they were days of abstinence, when meat was disavowed by the religiously observant.

Where I live, within view of Mediterranean fishing ports, I get superb fresh fish and shellfish, so have no reason to resort to salt cod. But, for tradition’s sake, once a year it is my—no, not penance!—challenge to try out a different way of preparing it. So, bacalao is coming round again.

Salt cod in garlicky pil pil sauce.

This year, I’m tackling a recipe loaded with mystique—the Basque preparation, bacalao al pil pil (salt cod in garlic pil pil sauce).

Bacalao at a pinxto bar in Bilbao.

If you’ve ever gone pinxto-hopping in Bilbao´s Old Quarter, in the neighborhood surrounding the Plaza Nueva, you may have savored this emblematic Basque dish—salt cod with a thick, golden garlic sauce.

Much mystique accompanies pil pil, which consists of nothing more than cod, olive oil and garlic. First you have to convert the stiff, cardboard-like dry cod into white, flaky fish. Then you have to magically thicken the olive oil into an unctuous and delicious sauce, by slowly swirling the warmed oil into the cod. The gelatine in its skin combines with the oil to make a sauce as thick as mayonnaise. The clever Basques even invented an electric device that keeps the cazuela rocking, freeing up hands for other jobs. Supposedly the name, "pil pil," is onomatopoeic--it's the sizzle the cod makes in the hot oil.

A cazuela—earthenware casserole—is perfect for cooking this dish because it holds the heat. You can use a skillet instead, but take care never to let the cod cook too hot.

Dry salt cod must be de-salted in water before cooking.

The basic recipe for bacalao al pil pil is below. But I made some variations.  I used a whole split—half a cod with skin—weighing about 1 pound (that is quite small) to make the pil pil sauce. Separately, I poached 12 ounces of skinless, center-cut lomo, loin, and added it to the sauce at the end. The thick loin made 4 tapa or starter servings. The cooked cod that I used for the sauce was picked off the bones and saved to make bacalao fritters later in the week. Any leftover sauce is delicious with cooked vegetables.

I like bacalao al pil pil in small portions as a tapa or starter. In Bilbao it is served atop bread as a pintxo (a tapa stuck on a pick). Txacolí—a bright, acidic white wine with a light fizz from Vizcaya (Basque Country)—is the perfect accompaniment.

Tapa-size portions of cod pil pil, with piquillo peppers on the side.

Pil pil sauce is as thick as mayonnaise. The gelatine in the cod skin causes the oil to emulsify.

Salt Cod in Garlic Pil Pil Sauce
Bacalao al Pil Pil

Makes 6 tapas or starters.

1 ½ pounds center-cut salt cod with skin
1 ½ cups extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, sliced crosswise
1 or more small dry red chiles, sliced crosswise

Two days before cooking the cod
De-salt the cod. Wash the cod, place it in a nonreactive bowl and cover with water. Cover the bowl and refrigerate. Soak the cod 36 to 48 hours, changing the water three times a day. 

After soaking. At the top are pieces with skin. Below are chunks of the skinless "loin" to be poached.

To cook the cod:

Cut away any bones.

Drain the cod and gently squeeze out excess water. Use fingers to find any bones in the pieces of cod. Use a filleting knife to remove them. Gently scrape off scales, but leave the skin intact.

Discard any thin-fleshed and bony sections. Cut the pieces into equal-sized pieces. Pat them dry on paper towels. 

Heat the oil in a skillet. Add the sliced garlic and chiles and fry until garlic is just golden, 30 seconds. Skim out the garlic and chiles and reserve them. Carefully pour the oil in the pan into a heat-proof measuring cup. 

Cod is pilpeando--making a sizzling sound--in the oil.

Heat ¼ cup of the oil in a 10-inch cazuela (earthenware casserole) or pan. Place the pieces of cod in the oil, skin side down and cook 2 minutes, shaking the cazuela so the skin doesn't stick. Very carefully turn the pieces of cod, skin side up.

Add 2 tablespoons of the warm oil. Place the cazuela over a very low heat or on top of a board or counter top and gently rock the cazuela to swirl the oil and cod in a circular motion. When the oil begins to thicken, add 1 tablespoon more warm oil. Swirl the cazuela until the oil emulsifies, then add another spoonful of oil.

Swirl the oil into the cazuela. It begins to emulsify.

Continue adding oil, a spoonful at a time, rocking and swirling the cazuela, until all the oil is incorporated and sauce is as thick as mayonnaise. Be patient—this will take about 15 minutes.

To separately poach the skinless pieces of cod, bring a pan of water to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer. Add the pieces of cod and poach them gently for 5 minutes. Carefully remove the cod with a slotted spoon and keep warm. Do not let the water boil or bubble. Add the poached cod to the finished pil pil sauce. 

Sprinkle the reserved garlic and chile on top of the cod. Serve the cod and sauce immediately or hold at room temperature for up to 30 minutes.

To reheat the cod and sauce, place the cazuela in a cold oven and set the temperature for 300ºF. When oven comes up to temperature, remove the cazuela, swirl in 1 tablespoon water and return to the oven for 5 minutes. Do not overheat or the sauce will separate.

Individual portions of cod and sauce can be reheated in a microwave set at medium for 1 ½ minutes.

Other bacalao recipes are here:

Cod fritters with molasses  http://mykitcheninspain.blogspot.com/2011/04/if-its-good-friday-it-must-be-bacalao.html

Catalan salt cod with beans http://mykitcheninspain.blogspot.com/2010/04/if-its-good-friday-it-must-be-bacalao.html

Olive pickers cod and potato stew. http://mykitcheninspain.blogspot.com.es/2010/11/family-that-picks-together-sticks.html  

Chickpeas and spinach with cod dumplings. http://mykitcheninspain.blogspot.com.es/2012/02/updating-traditional-bacalao-dish-for.html

Leek soup with cod.  http://mykitcheninspain.blogspot.com.es/2012/03/like-leeks.html

Garliky salt cod spread.  http://mykitcheninspain.blogspot.com.es/2010/10/taking-it-on-road.html

LIKE LEEKS

Leeks from the garden.

Biding their time through the winter, the leeks in my garden plot are ready for pulling. I’ve used one here and there, usually for adding to chicken or vegetable soup, but now the whole crop is ready to harvest. What to do with several dozen leeks?

Leeks can be used in place of onions, of course. They are milder, sweeter than onions. I especially like them with all things fish—sauteed in olive oil until melted into a thick jam as a bed for roasted salmon; simmered with white wine and scallops or mussels; fried to a frizzle as a garnish for grilled sea bass.

Leeks, trimmed of outer leaves and tops.

I love leeks prepared in that old-fashioned French dish, leeks a la grecque. The leeks simmer in an aromatic mixture of vinegar and olive oil and are left to cool in the broth, to be served atop greens as a salad course.

There’s always vichysoisse, a leek and potato soup. That trail led me to a home-style Basque soup, porrusalda, leek and potato soup, often embellished with salt cod. Lush with leeks, the soup is not pureed as is vichysoisse. Olive oil, not cream, gives it richness. Some cooks add carrots or pumpkin as well as potatoes. I like a sprinkle of hot pimentón (paprika) to punch up the flavor.

Dirt collects between leaves.

Leeks collect dirt between the multi-layered leaves. The best way to clean them is to slice downward from the tops and spread the leaves open under running water. Strip off and discard any leathery outer leaves.

Porrusalda is Basque leek and potato soup with salt cod.

PORRUSALDA
Basque Leek Soup

8 ounces salt cod (optional)
6 to 8 leeks (about 1 ½ pounds after tops are trimmed)
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 carrot, sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 ¼ pounds potatoes (russet type)
5 cups water or light chicken stock
Salt and pepper
Hot pimentón (paprika), if desired

If using the cod, put it to soak in water to cover 36 hours before preparing the soup. Cover and refrigerate. Change the water twice daily. Drain and rinse the cod. Cut it into bite-size pieces, discarding any skin and bone.

Split the leeks lengthwise and wash them well. Slice them crosswise (making approximately 5 cups of sliced leeks).

Heat the oil in a cazuela or soup pot. Add the sliced leeks, carrot and garlic. Sauté 3 minutes.

Peel and cut the potatoes into bite-sized chunks. Add potatoes to the cazuela with water or stock to cover. Bring to a boil, lower heat to a simmer and add the pieces of cod. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

Taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper. Simmer another 15 minutes until potatoes and leeks are tender. Sprinkle with hot pimentón before serving.

Leek and potato soup.

Here’s a tip I learned from a television chef: use the outer leaves of a leek to wrap up a bouquet garni with carrot, celery, parsley and thyme.

IF IT'S GOOD FRIDAY, IT MUST BE BACALAO

This is Semana Santa, Holy Week, which precedes the joyous feast of Easter. In Catholic Spain, many people observe the Lenten period by abstaining from meat. In that sense, this holiday is a fast rather than a feast, but it, too, is celebrated with special foods, in particular, bacalao, salt cod. On the streets of cities and villages, Holy Week brings massive religious processions and fervent demonstrations of faith. 

Many years ago I lived several miles from town in an old mill house that had no electricity and no running water. To get my hair washed and dried, I went weekly to the village beauty shop, run by María. This was one of my best sources for recipes because, along with local gossip, the talk amongst the village ladies was invariably of food--what to serve for the next meal. While I waited my turn, I gathered recipes.

On one occasion, a week before Semana Santa, the place was jammed with many women waiting for a perm and color. Holy Week marks one of the three occasions of the year when every woman in town and country must have a new hair-do and color job. (The other two are the village feria and Christmas, which also signal housewives to get busy white-washing their house facades). I sat down, fully prepared to wait at least two hours.

María rushed over to me, proudly displaying a wig. The color was dark chestnut, the color of choice for local women in those days (now, blond and copper are just as common), and the hair was curled in lovely long ringlets. A dozen women crowded around to ooh and ah. What was so special?

“De la Virgen de los Dolores,” María said. The wig had been removed from the church’s image of the Virgin of the Sorrows, the life-size statue of the grieving Mother of Christ, with her jeweled tear-drops, which would be borne in the processions on Good Friday, and taken to the local beauty shop for restyling. Obviously no Andalusian woman, holy or otherwise, would dare walk in the procession without having her hair done!

The transubstantiation of dry salt cod
It was in a tapa bar during village processions that I first tasted bacalao, dry salt cod. It was delicious cooked in several ways, in a sauce and also batter-fried.

In the days before refrigeration and rapid means of transportation, fresh fish rarely was available to people who lived far inland from fishing ports. So during the Lenten period, when the Church required abstinence from meat, bacalao became an important part of the diet. Even in my village, so close to the sea, where people ate fresh seafood every day, bacalao was the choice for viernes santo, Good Friday.

I think it must be the mystery of the transubstantiation of bacalao, from a texture like cardboard and a smell like dirty socks, into a soft, snowy-white fish, that makes it appropriate to the season.

Though I enjoy eating bacalao in tapa bars, I rarely cook it at home. Except today. If it’s Good Friday, it’s got to be bacalao.

Because I recently returned from a trip to Barcelona (more about that in future posts), this year I’ve selected a Catalan recipe, bacalao a la llauna. A llauna is a shallow oven pan in which the cod finishes cooking. The cod is often served with tiny white beans, called mongetes, similar to navy beans. I brought some of those back from Barcelona. Once cooked (ok, not being very abstinent, I threw a chunk of pancetta into the pot), I dressed them with Arbequina olive oil from DO Siurana in Catalonia and the sauce from the cod. The garnish is of crisp-fried leeks (slice them crosswise, separate into rings, toss with flour and fry in olive oil).

SALT COD, CATALAN STYLE
BACALAO A LA LLAUNA

Start this recipe at least 24 hours before you intend to serve it. Select thick, center-cut pieces of salt cod, about 6 ounces per person. Trim away any fins and bones, but leave the skin. Rinse in running water and place the pieces of cod in a bowl. Cover with fresh water. Cover and refrigerate. Soak the cod for 24 to 36 hours (longer time for thicker pieces), changing the water 3 or 4 times.

Drain the cod and squeeze out excess water. Pat dry on paper towels.Use a boning knife to cut away any fins and bones.

Serves 4.

 

1 ½ pounds salt cod, cut in
      4 to 8 pieces, soaked for 24 hours
flour for dusting the cod
1/3 cup olive oil, preferably Catalan
     Arbequina
4 cloves garlic, sliced crosswise
2 ½ tablespoons pimentón (paprika)
½ cup white wine
salt and freshly ground black pepper
chopped parsley
cooked beans (optional)
fried leeks (optional)

Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC).

Dredge pieces of cod in flour and pat off excess. Heat the oil in a skillet on medium heat. Fry the pieces of cod on all sides until lightly browned. Remove them and set aside.

Strain the oil into a clean skillet (in order to eliminate flour bits). Heat the oil and sauté the sliced garlic until very lightly golden. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the pimentón. Add the wine, salt and pepper. Return to the heat and simmer 3 minutes.

Lightly oil a shallow oven pan. Place the pieces of cod in it, skin-side down. Spoon the sauce over the top and sprinkle with parsley. Bake until the fish flakes easily, about 10 minutes.

Serve immediately, accompanied, if desired, by cooked beans and fried leeks.

Post tasting notes: I’m supposed to be the expert! But, my rendition of this recipe—tasted after I made the photograph—was not great. The bacalao was way too salty. The thick pieces needed another 24 hours soaking. Plus, I think I would cover the llauna oven pan with foil to keep the moisture in during baking. It really should be moist and flaky and mine wasn’t. But, maybe I need to cook bacalao more than once a year!