This weekend I made a Portuguese themed birthday dinner. The centerpiece was a full filet of salted cod, or Bacalhau, possibly the most Portuguese dish of them all.
Salted cod is exactly what it sounds like–a filet, usually, of codfish, dried in the sun and packed in salt. The finished product is shelf stable. Salt cod dates back at least 500 years to when European fishermen discovered seemingly endless stocks of cod off the coast of Newfoundland. The cod was dried to preserve it on its journey back across the Atlantic and became both a staple of trade between the Old and New worlds and a staple in the menus of Catholic countries, like Spain, France, and especially Portugal, where fish was (and often still is) the preferred food on Fridays and during the season of Lent.
Cooking salt cod could not be easier. The only thing you have to do is soak the cod 36-48 hours ahead of cooking. Just like with a Virginia ham, soaking the salt cod removes excess salt and rehydrates the meat. I began soaking my filet on Wednesday for Saturday’s dinner, changing the water three times.
When I was a kid, fish was like mayonnaise–it always, always, belonged in the refrigerator. Any piece of fish that sat on the counter for the better part of the week before making its way to the table was more than suspicious and dried shelf stable slabs of fish were quite a culinary leap.
The drying and salting process changes the texture of cod into something more unctuous and umami than any fresh fish I have ever tasted. Salt Cod’s best friends are olive oil, potatoes, onions and garlic. Brandade–a smooth French-style spread of salt cod, potatoes and garlic, is a popular preparation, and delicious on toast. My recipe is even simpler: Soak your salt-cod filet for two to three days. Place it in a shallow dish and cover it with an obscene amount of olive oil, several cups depending on the size of your filet and your pan. The goal is to truly cover the fish. Slice three large white onions and use them to cover filet and then sprinkle the whole thing with your favorite green and black olives.
Since salt cod is already cured the only thing you need to worry about in terms of cooking is basting and caramelizing the onions, for which I like a 300-degree oven best. I usually slow cook my cod for four-plus hours. If you want something to soak up the olive oil, roast a few new potatoes.
Salt cod is great for dinner parties because it holds beautifully in a warm oven. I served my poached cod filet with a tart escarole salad. The fish was nicely salty and sweet from the onions. I am keeping the olive oil left over from cooking to flavor my next several meals. I planned to fry up the extra cod with a few good eggs, but there wasn’t any left.
Salt cod is available at Mutual Fish, Big John’s PFI and Paris Grocery.
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