Entree: Spain – Basque Country – Bacalao al Pil-Pil (Salted cod braised and served in a silky garlic and olive oil emulsion)
Serving Size: 4
Approximate Time
Prep
3 min
Cook
16 min
Additional
24 hrs
Total
24 hrs 20 min
Ingredients
- 1 lb (450 g) salt cod fillets (about 2 fillets total), desalinated and rinsed
- 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced, about 30 g
- 1–2 guindilla or dried mild red chiles (or 1/2 tsp dried crushed chile flakes)
- 2 tbsp (8 g) fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp (2.5 g) freshly ground black pepper
- Lemon wedges for serving (optional)
Instructions
1. Desalting: Soak the salt cod in cold water in the refrigerator for 24–48 hours, changing the water 3–4 times, until the fish is properly desalted. After soaking, drain, rinse, and pat fillets dry. Cut into serving-size pieces if necessary.
2. Place olive oil in a wide, shallow skillet over low heat. Add sliced garlic and the guindilla pepper and warm gently; the goal is to infuse the oil without crisping the garlic. Remove garlic and pepper once garlic is lightly golden and set aside in the oil.
3. Raise heat to medium-low. Add the cod fillets skin-side down and cook gently 3–4 minutes per side until just cooked through; cooking time depends on thickness. Remove the fish to a plate, leaving the oil and any gelatin released in the pan.
4. Reduce heat to the lowest setting. Return cod pieces to the pan and begin the pil-pil emulsion: using a small ladle or spoon, very slowly and steadily drizzle the warm oil over the cod while gently shaking the pan or using a wooden spoon to stir in small circular motions. Continue for 5–8 minutes until the oil becomes glossy and slightly thickened and clings to the fish.
5. Add the reserved golden garlic slices back to the pan and gently spoon the pil-pil sauce over the fillets to coat. Season with black pepper and scatter chopped parsley over the top.
6. Serve immediately in the shallow pan or transferred to a warm serving dish so each portion is coated in the silky pil-pil sauce. Offer lemon wedges on the side if desired.
