Bacalao con Papas (Salt Cod with Potatoes)
- Level: Easy
- Total: 2 hr 50 min (includes soaking time)
- Active: 30 min
- Yield: 4 servings
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 4 servings
- Calories
- 469
- Total Fat
- 16 g
- Saturated Fat
- 5 g
- Carbohydrates
- 38 g
- Dietary Fiber
- 4 g
- Sugar
- 5 g
- Protein
- 41 g
- Cholesterol
- 101 mg
- Sodium
- 4363 mg
- Level: Easy
- Total: 2 hr 50 min (includes soaking time)
- Active: 30 min
- Yield: 4 servings
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 4 servings
- Calories
- 469
- Total Fat
- 16 g
- Saturated Fat
- 5 g
- Carbohydrates
- 38 g
- Dietary Fiber
- 4 g
- Sugar
- 5 g
- Protein
- 41 g
- Cholesterol
- 101 mg
- Sodium
- 4363 mg
Ingredients
Directions
Try this cooking class now
- Rinse 1/2 pound salt cod under cold water to remove the outer layer of salt. Tear it into large strips (about 1- to 2-inches wide), place in a large bowl and cover with cold water. Let soak for 1 hour, drain the water and tear the cod into large bite-size pieces. Cover again with cold water and let soak for 30 minutes. Drain, cover again with cold water and soak for the final 30 minutes. Drain and squeeze out all the excess water from the cod with your hands; the cod should be very dry before using.
- Heat the oil and butter to a medium pot or Dutch oven over medium heat until the butter melts. Add the bay leaf and oregano and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Add the onion, garlic, black pepper and half of the parsley. Stir to evenly combine and cook, stirring often, until the onions are translucent but not brown, about 3 minutes. Add the tomato paste and stir to coat all the ingredients. Continue to stir until the tomato paste begins to caramelize and turn a dark red, almost brown color, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the wine and cook, scraping the caramelized bits from the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Next, add the salt cod, stirring to coat the cod completely in the sauce and cook until the cod absorbs most of the sauce, 1 to 2 minutes. Finally, add the potatoes, piquillo peppers, olives and tomato sauce. Stir together, cover and reduce the heat to medium low. Simmer the sauce until the potatoes are fork tender but still hold their shape, about 20 minutes.
- To serve, stir in the lemon juice and taste for salt -- typically all the salt needed in this recipe comes from the salt cod. Plate with cooked white rice or grilled bread and garnish with the remaining chopped parsley.
Cook’s Note
In many recipes, salt cod needs to be soaked overnight. The method I provide in this recipe shortens that process. By tearing the salt cod into smaller pieces and changing the water multiple times, you can cut that soaking time down to 2 hours! Most of the time this dish does not need to be seasoned with salt because the salt cod, even though it is rinsed, provides enough seasoning. Make sure to taste the bacalao after it finishes simmering for 20 minutes before adding any additional salt.
