Bacalao al Pil Pil - Salted cod with chili, garlic, and parsley sauce
Native to the Basque region, Bacalao al Pil Pil can be found all over Spain served either as a pintxos, or as a main meal. It's especially common in the foodie capital of San Sebastian and also in the capital, Madrid, where it's served on a fresh slice of bread. The beauty of this dish is the simplicity of ingredients and combination of flavors and texture when made right, with the cod cooked in oil and then used to make the rich creamy sauce that is then poured over the top.
Equipment
- 1 large 30 cm/ 12 inch frying pan
Ingredients
- 1 large fillet of salted bacalao or a substitute white fish approx. 800g/ 1.7 lb
- 3-4 cloves of garlic chopped
- 1 cup of olive oil approx 240 ml/8 fl oz.
- 1 small dried hot chili
Instructions
- First, rehydrate the fish fillet by placing the salted bacalao fillet into cold fresh water and put it in the fridge for 24-36 hours. You'll need to change the water every 8 hours to remove the excess salt. (Note: If you are using a fresh fish fillet, you can skip this step!)
- Cut the bacalao fillets into 2-inch wide portions.
- Heat all the olive oil on medium heat in a large, wide-rimmed frying pan. If the oil is too hot, it will spit or smoke, so be careful to apply only medium heat.
- Add the garlic and chili and saute for 2-3 minutes or until the garlic becomes golden brown. Once golden, remove the garlic and chili.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low. Allow a few moments for the oil to cool down. Once cooled, and add the fillets of bacalao (they should just sizzle on the edges if cooked at the right temperature).
- After 3-4 minutes, use a wide spatula to turn the fish, cook the other side for another 2-3 minutes. The fish will release some of its juices and will be white in color once cooked.
- Remove the pan from the heat and set aside the fish on a plate with some paper towel underneath to soak up any excess oil.
Notes
This recipe can be easily made into a main meal serving 4 people with no additional ingredients required.