Bacalao a la vizcaína (Mexican salt cod stew)
- Preparation and cooking time
- Prep:
- Cook:
- Serves 6
Ingredients
- 750g salt cod
- 1.5kg tomatoes
- 250ml olive oil
- 4 medium white onions, sliced
- 7 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 small bunch of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 750g whole baby potatoes, cooked until just soft and peeled
- 175g jar güeros chillies or pickled chillies, reserve some of the pickling brine
- 60g capers
- 175g jar olives stuffed with red peppers
- 100g almonds, lightly toasted and chopped
Method
- STEP 1
To prepare the salt cod, put it in a dish and submerge in cold water for 36-48 hrs before you want to cook it, changing the water five times within that time. Taste the cod after 36 hrs soaking. If the cod is still too salty, continue to soak for up to 48 hrs. The flavour will be distinctively salty but shouldn’t be overpowering. Drain the cod and tip into a bowl. Using your hands, break the fish into 3cm-long shredded pieces, discarding any bones.
- STEP 2
Cut 1kg of the tomatoes into small cubes. Deseed the remaining 500g, blitz in a blender, then strain through a fine sieve. Put a medium pan over a medium heat, heat the olive oil and cook the onion for around 15 mins until translucent, then add the garlic, followed by the chopped and blended tomatoes. Continue cooking for 40 mins over a medium heat, stirring often.
- STEP 3
Add the salt cod and most of the parsley, and cook for about 15 mins. Add the potatoes, chillies, capers, olives and almonds, mix together, then cook for a further 30 mins. Taste it – if it needs more salt, add a little of the chilli pickling brine to season. Serve with the remaining parsley scattered over.
