Bacalao a la Riojana (Riojan style Salt Cod)

3 / 4 kg. salted cod
1 / 4 kg. onions
1 / 4 kg. tomato
3 peppers moron
200 ml. oil
Salt

Soak the cod cut into regular pieces for 24 hours changing the water several times. The next day, remove the scales and put the pieces in a saucepan covered with just boiling water, remove and crumble the cod, removing any skin and bones.

Fry the chopped onion in a little oil, add the tomato & stew together for about 10 minutes. Pass through a sieve to make it a fine sauce. At the bottom of a clay pot, put a little of this sauce, and a layer on top of cod crumbles. Cover with another layer of sauce and peppers strips. Repeat the layers. Cover the casserole and cook over low heat until all is in their fat. If it is necessary to move the pan constantly to avoid sticking and binding good.

Tricks and Tips: For this dish, to avoid crumbling the cod, choose some large cod and cut into rectangles of 12 by 3 cm before soaking

Bacalao al Pil-Pil (Salt Cod in an Olive oil)

Bacalao al Pil-Pil is a classic Basque fare. Use only olive oil; other fats will not result in the superior emulsion this dish demands. Use the best salt cod you can find or salt it yourself. Use a cazuela or similar earthenware cooking vessel that can be used on the stove top. And finally, when you are ready to place the fish in the cazuela to begin the sauce, make sure the salt cod, olive oil, and cazuela are all lukewarm.
Serves 6

2 pounds salt cod, desalted
1 1/2 cups olive oil
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 small dried hot chile, seeded and cut into rings

Drain the salt cod and pat dry with paper towels. Cut into 3-inch squares, leaving the skin intact. When cooking later in olive oil, the skin will release the needed gelatin to help emulsify the sauce.

In a 12-inch cazuela, heat the olive oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the garlic and the chile and fry, stirring occasionally, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the garlic starts to turn golden. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the garlic and chile to a small bowl and reserve for garnish. Reserve the oil in the cazuela.

Decrease the heat to medium-low and add the cod pieces to the oil. Simmer for about 10 minutes, being careful not to let the oil become too hot. The oil should just barely sizzle around the edges of the fish pieces. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cod to a plate and then pour the olive oil into a wide heatproof bowl to cool. When the cod is cool enough to handle, remove any errant bones, leaving the pieces as intact as possible.

Return the cod pieces, skin side up and in a single layer, to the cazuela. At this point, make sure that the cazuela, the cod, and the reserved olive oil are all lukewarm.

Place the cazuela over medium heat and begin by spooning 2 or 3 tablespoons of the olive oil over the cod. It its here that the dance begins: using both hands, rotate the cazuela in circular motions over the burner. Continue the motion until the first drops of oil start to emulsify. You will know that the emulsion is beginning when the oil drops turn pale and cling to one another. Eventually the whole sauce will turn pale white.

Continue to rotate the cazuela, interrupting only to add the olive oil gradually, spoonful by spoonful, until all the oil is incorporated into the emulsion. Depending on the quality of the cod and the gelatin content of its skin, it will take anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes to make the sauce.

Divide the cod evenly among individual plates and spoon the sauce over the top. Garnish with the reserved garlic and chile. Serve hot or warm.

Note: If the pil pil sauce does not result in a thick emulsion, some Spanish cooks use the following “tricks” to obtain the right consistency:

  • Pour the sauce from the pan and use a stick blender to whip the sauce a bit. Be careful not to whip it too long or it will thicken too much.
  • Remove half of the sauce from the pan, add a pinch of corn starch to it and use a stick blender to whip. Be careful not to whip it too long or it will thicken too much. Return to pan and stir to mix in.
  • While stirring the sauce in the pan, add 1-2 Tbsp whole milk to thicken.

Although purists may cringe at the above methods, they can salvage a meal.

Cod to the Vizcaino

Restaurant by Guria, Bilbo. Serves six

For the cod:
2 kg. cod.
4 cloves garlic
4 dl. virgin olive oil

For the sauce Vizcayan:
1.5 kg. onion
2 cloves garlic
100 g of ham
50 g of jamon serrano (Prosciuto can be substituted)
3 sprigs of parsley
1 cookie Maria
2 dl. of pure olive oil
15 peppers choriceros
2 tablespoons tomato sauce
1 nut (teaspoon) of butter
pinch of white pepper
pinch of cayenne pepper (Optional)
salt

Cut the cod into six pieces about 10cm long and 7 wide, all the same thickness. Once cut, set to soak in a large pot with water, which is changed every 8 hours, well over 24-36 hours (depending on the cod) until desalted. Dry, descale, and remove all spines. (Desalting can be done in the fridge).

Place a clay pot over medium heat with olive oil and chopped garlic in foil. When these begin to take color out of the pot. Simmer cod (do not fry) for about 8 minutes. Drain and reserve.

Add the choriceros in a saucepan with cold water. Maintain a low heat. When it starts to boil, remove. Transfer to a saucepan with fresh water and repeat the operation three more times. Once executed, remove the peppers, cut with a knife and remove the pulp. Reserve.

Put a pot on a very low heat with oil, garlic and onions or chopped, bacon, ham, parsley and the cookie. Allow for about three hours until all golden. Remove ham, bacon and parsley from the pan (a ham sandwich is very good to whet the appetite).

Add the rest of the ingredients to the pot. Boil for about 15 minutes until soft. Pass all through a sieve four times until superfine. Pour the sauce into a saucepan. Bring to simmer. Add two tablespoons of tomato sauce, butter and salpimentar. Test and correct for salt.

Place six slices of cod (with the skin side up) in a clay pot. Top with salsa Bilbao. Adding two tablespoons of the oil that is used for cod, leaving to simmer, stir, give a brief boil, remove.

To serve, place a slice on the plate, top with the sauce and decorate with a few strips of red & green pepper.

Valid HTML 4.01 Transitional Copyright © 2009 Hazelnet & Styleshout Valid CSS!