Catching up...

Bacalao is a Portuguese/Spanish way to prepare Norwegian salted cod. I learnt to make it in Trondheim from a woman named Helga, who had an incredible instinct for cooking.
I only have images of the preparation prior to cooking:



BACALAO

Best made in a great big pot and shared with many.

Ingredients:
1 dried, salted cod (saltfisk) - you can buy them at the Mediterranean Wholesalers, those whole dried fish that look as though they are roaring
2kg fresh tomatoes, thickly sliced
1kg white onions, roughly chopped
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 can tomato puree
1 whole bulb garlic, roughly chopped
Loads of olive oil
Water
2kg potatoes, peeled and sliced
2 habanero chillies, finely chopped

Cut the saltfisk into chunks and soak for 24 hours, changing the water 3 times during the soaking period. Keep refrigerated whilst soaking. Drain.

Put the sliced potato in water about 2 hours prior to cooking and leave to soak, then drain. This helps the potato to cook evenly with the fish.

Heat a large, deep pot, put a splash of olive oil, a handful of onion, a can of tomatoes and a handful of fresh tomato (chopped) into the pan and cook until the onion begins to become transparent. This is to sort of start it off.
Then turn the heat off, and layer the pan up in this order, the way you would a moussaka:
Potatoes, fish, onion and garlic, tomatoes, chili, daubs of puree or splashes of canned tomatoes.
The order is important, the fish needs to rest on top of the potatoes.
Layer right up to the top of the pan, then pour on about 1 cup olive oil and 1 cup water or so, such that when you tilt the pan you can see the liquid appear.
Cover and bring to the boil, then lower heat and cook for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. It is cooked when the potatoes are ready.
Serve with fresh, warm bread (ideally pariserloff), herb butter, and a bowl of olives.

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