A traditional salt cod recipe from Northern Portugal, Bacalhau a Moda do Minho. Each family has its own recipe passed down for generations, but I bet they all have a common denominator, namely potatoes. This recipe is from my 1930’s Portuguese cookbook, where a group of notable gentlemen from Lisboa got together once a month and cooked dinner, probably accompanied by plenty of wine and, to finish the evening, a few glasses of port and cigars.
Yield: 4 servings
Time: 60 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2 lbs salt cod, desalted
- black peppercorns
- 1 bay leaf
- freshly ground pepper, or to taste
- 1 tsp Spanish smoked paprika, or to taste
- 2 lbs Yukon gold potatoes, thinly sliced, preferably with a mandolin
- 4 cups onions, thinly sliced
- 6 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 cup cilantro (coriander leaves) or flat-leaf (Italian) parsley, finely minced
- 900 g salt cod, desalted
- black peppercorns
- 1 bay leaf
- freshly ground pepper, or to taste
- 1 tsp Spanish smoked paprika, or to taste
- 900 g Yukon gold potatoes, thinly sliced, preferably with a mandolin
- 4 cups onions, thinly sliced
- 6 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 cup cilantro (coriander leaves) or flat-leaf (Italian) parsley, finely minced
Salt Cod vs Stockfish
Salt cod (bacalhau) is using a long-lived preservation method of salting. Traditionally special varieties of cod were used but due to overfishing, other firm flesh non-oily fish often serve as substitutes such as haddock, pollack, hake and striped bass. The traditional salting process takes three weeks. The fish are placed in large crates, covered with salt and turned over every 4-5 days so that they can absorb all the salt and lose excess water. The salt content absorbed by the fish during salting must exceed 18%. Modern methods, eschewed by the the slow food movement, inject the fish with a salt solution.
Stockfish, on the other hand, is cod dried in the sun on special racks for three months. It seems that its name derives from the Norwegian stokkfisk or from the Dutch stokvis, meaning “stick fish” or “fish dried on sticks”. Stockfish and bacalhau are often confused, especially in Italy where the famous Baccalà alla Vicentina dish uses stoccafisso (stockfish).
Preparation:
Place desalted codfish pieces in a saucepan. Cover with water. Add a bay leaf and 4-5 peppercorns. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook cod for about 15-20 minutes or until the fish starts flaking. Let codfish cool in the water for about 5-10 minutes. Remove skin, if any, and check for bones.
While the codfish is cooking, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a saucepan and heat it over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and cook it until nicely golden and a bit caramelized about 10-15 minutes. Add the garlic and cook it 2 minutes longer. Set aside.
Shred cod fish flesh roughly and place it in a bowl. Season with fresh pepper, smoked paprika, chopped cilantro or parsley. Taste for salt, if necessary. Set aside.
Preheat oven at 350° F/175° C. Pat potato slices well with paper towels. In a large saucepan heat vegetable oil as needed over medium-high heat. Fry potatoes slices until they begin to brown on the edges, golden and crisp on both sides. Transfer them to a baking sheet lined with paper towels to drain. Keep them warm while you fry the rest of the potatoes.
Oil a baking dish lightly and start by layering the potatoes first in the dish. Top it with the shredded codfish and top it again with the potato slices. Season with salt and pepper. Add the caramelized onions and garlic on top. Bake it for 25-30 minutes. Just before serving sprinkle it with cilantro and drizzle it a bit with extra olive oil if you like.
Salad greens are a nice match for this dish.
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