One thing keeps me from being insufferably smug about all the vegetables and fruits I eat. That one thing is fish. Other than beer and lying, fish is my only vice. While I can't eat calves, lamb, piglets, chicks or their grown-up counterparts, fish remains something I can't not eat.
I was adopted into, and later married into, water-loving families of fisherfolk, boat captains, surfers and sailors. Genetically shorebound, I might have been an outsider if not for my love of seafood. I don't care how undesirable or "fishy" others might categorize a particular species, I'll eat it, like it and ask for more. I've become known as something of a pescatarian daredevil, which, since I'm afraid to jump with both feet off the ground, is my only claim to bravery.
Here along the Gulf of Mexico, where fresh fish is available any day of the year, I laughed aloud the day the little wooden boxes of salt cod appeared in the grocery store fish case. Who'd buy that!? I said to myself. (I said the same thing about bottled water and Madonna, so my track record as a prophet isn't good.) Then I met a woman who'd been stationed at Lajes Air Force Base, off the coast of Portugal. She and her children were part of my volunteer program at the animal shelter, and we became friends. She raved about the salt cod (or "bachalau") she'd eaten at Lajes. So, one day I did something I thought I'd never do. I bought fish in a box.
I just thought of another vice. I make up lyrics to songs, then sing them, loudly. This compulsion might strike at any time. For instance, if I'm passing out treats to the dogs I might sing to the tune of The Waitresses' I Know What Boys Like –"I know what dogs like./I know what dogs want./I know what dogs like.../Dogs like.../Dogs like ME!" It drives my husband crazy, so for Christmas I bought him a redneck ipod.
When I make this dish I sing "This is the fish in a box! Oooooh. Oooh. Oooh." to the tune of Justin Timberlake's Dick in a Box. I can't help myself.
Back to salt cod – Because I had no Portuguese granny to tell me what to do with this very strange ingredient, I read through a few salt cod/bachalau recipes, and then went off in my own direction, borrowing ingredients from other favorite recipes, until I came up with something I hoped would suit our taste.
When I put the resulting salt cod and potato casserole on the table, my husband and I stared at it dubiously. There's just something about the idea of salty dried fish that isn't automatically appealing. It's the kind of thing you want to poke at. With a stick.
He said, "So this is the fish in a box? Don't sing it!...It's not the prettiest thing is it?"
I had to agree. It wasn't going to appear on the cover of Food and Wine. We stared at it a little longer, gathering courage. Finally, I said, "I'm going in." I spooned a portion onto each plate, and with a deep breath, I took a bite. We ate in silence for a while, before each of us simultaneously let out a groan of pleasure. "This is so good," he said. "Sooooo good."
It didn't take long for this recipe to become a family favorite. It's the kind of dish that gets better with each bite, and better each day. When my daughter comes home from college she wants the salt cod and potato casserole for dinner and blackberry doobie for dessert. I made it last week for her birthday and as I pulled the casserole from the oven, I heard something. Someone humming to the tune of Dick in a Box.
I turned to find my husband standing behind me. "You just hummed it!" I said, gleefully. "You did!!" He scowled and denied it. (But he did.)
Salt Cod w/ Potatoes, Leeks and Feta
The salt cod needs to be soaked for 24 hours to re-hydrate it and to remove most of the salt. Rinse the filets under the tap, and then place in a large bowl and cover with water. Refrigerate and change the water several times, giving a good final rinse before you use it.
1 lb of salt cod -- one box
5 large Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and halved
2 large leeks chopped, white and pale green parts only (washed thoroughly)
2 medium sweet onions, chopped
3/4 cup cream
3 cloves of garlic, minced
8 oz feta cheese
2/3 cup very good olive oil
1/2 tsp (or to taste) red pepper flakes
Large handful of fresh parsley, finely chopped
Large handful of fresh dill, finely chopped (fronds only, the stems are very tough)
kosher or sea salt and lots of fresh black pepper
Simmer the salt cod in hot, barely boiling, water for about 10 minutes, until it flakes easily. Pull the fish out of the water, turn up the heat a bit and put the potatoes in to boil until they are tender. Drain and cool until you can handle them and slice into 1/4 inch rounds. Depending on the size of your potatoes, you may not need all of them. Save the remainder for another use.
Flake the cod into a small bowl and toss with the olive oil, fresh parsley, fresh dill, one clove of garlic, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper to taste. (Taste a bit of the flaked cod to see how salty it is. Go from there when seasoning the rest of the dish with salt. The potatoes will need a hefty dose of salt, so don't underseason, but be mindful of the salt content of the cod itself and the salty taste of feta cheese.)
The Cod Mixture
In a large skillet in a little bit of oil, saute the leeks and onions until translucent, then add the garlic and cook them down a little longer until they are very soft. Add the cream. Salt and pepper to taste.
The Leek Mixture
To assemble: In a 13x9 inch casserole dish -- oil the dish lightly and cover the bottom with a layer of the sliced potatoes, dot with1/3 of the feta cheese. Spoon on 1/3 of the leek mixture, topped with 1/3 of the cod mixture. Repeat the layers: a layer of potatoes, feta, leek mixture and cod mixture. For the final layer: potatoes, the remaining leek mixture and cod mixture, then dot the top with the remaining feta. Cover with aluminum foil and bake in a 375 oven for about 40 minutes. Take the foil off and bake another 12-15 minutes or until everything is bubbly and the top is slightly browned. If it's not quite brown enough, put it under the broiler for a few minutes, but watch it carefully.
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Comments
:: waves to Mr Vance::
Bachalau is an Italian staple. I cannot smell or stand to look at it. I swear if anyone writes about it I will not read it because I can smell it hahaha
Rated with hugs
youtube.
Okay click on" embed"
then look on the left hand side and there will be 5 small boxes. Click on 'use old embedding feature" . It should go in easily.
They changed it a few weeks a go and told no one.
argh..:)
Lying? No!! Tell me it ain't so...except...how could I believe you?
♥R
(Redneck iPod, ha)
my mum used to make salt cod stewed in tomato sauce. It was to die for. it had peas and potatoes in it. onions garlic, the usual.
the bacalla has to be soaked for a day or two, some recipes call for milk - gives it a lovely sweetness and I can't say firms up the fish as it's pretty firm, but does do something.
salt cod also makes KILLER FISH CAKES, which I think is your recipe except with mashed potatoes then rolled in bread crumbs. thank you for your recipe. I love the idea of the feta and the dill. as they say on those tv cooking shows, "takes it to another level". ya!
i don't make it, but i guess you might nudge me in that direction with this recipe. but whether i do or not, i now have the earworm of 'dick in a box.' so thanks, bell! ;
I turned the contraption off.
If the slow-rancid gibber goo`
`
huh?
I's cuss & send`
e-mail to Michelle`
She Loves Ya Awe!
`
`
( I shut off 'connect' key-button.)
`
That slow-speed ad sure annoy.
`
Leek, pea, O let-us`enjoy green.
`
No be crude, arrogant, prideful,
world-gin's `a goons, oh, bitchy,
wild- beast-locked in a bottle jug,
uncork!
carefully!
Bewares`
`
Open with`
With Friend.
`
Release it? Wallowing, golden glow.
No act as an old ass's rage-bitch's.
But - No visit laywer for any woe.`
Thanks,
keeper.
To "Brown Sugar" by the Stones:
"Ah Salted Cod how come you taste so good
Salted Cod, just like a groundfish should."
Ok, so it doesn't scan perfectly.
R
I'm sure it tastes divine, but I think it makes an attractive stucco as well :) Now...I guess I'll go listen to that guy Timberlake. Only for you, Bell.
yes, groaning with pleasure indeed
bacalao with root vegetables, avocado and slices of hard egg, drizzled in olive oil
bacalao and eggplant "in sauce"
buñuelos de bacalao
bacalao fritters, goodness, they are the best thing!
bacalao and rice
need I go on?
Salted codfish was one of the most important food staples in my island, it was cheap, it didn't need refrigeration, and it adapted itself well to many recipes. Salted codfish and root vegetables (grown in poor people's gardens) was the one meal a day many, many people had. Perhaps, what saved many from starvation.
You've brought an onslaught of memories. I am thankful.
Bea -- I've been singing it all day. It gets into your head.
Linda -- The smell is distinctive, but that's only right out of the box. Once it's soaked it doesn't smell. I know...well, you can't unsmell the other. I hadn't realized the embed thing had changed. Thanks for alerting me.
greenheron -- It was a cheap shot. The biggest redneck I know is my cousin. He's also a pharmacist, with more electronic equipment and computers than I'd know what to do with. It's hard to think of other examples, other than I was with my daughter as she was trying on pants and I started singing, "The pants go marching one by one..Hoorah! Hoorah."
Lisa -- I'll have to look up that second one. Brandade de morue?
Christine -- As foodie as you are...you MUST try it! Or at least some recipe using the salt cod. It was an eye-opening ingredient for me.
Matt -- That is a conundrum! Lying is only the fourth in degree of my one vice. My friend Sue is of Norwegian decent and she has some tales of lutefisk. Not good tales, but she's a picky eater so I don't trust her judgement.
Fusun -- I envy folks who've been eating this all along. I wonder at all the food memories I missed.
Scarlett -- I've seen the recipe for the fish cakes, and I think I'll have to make them now. Fish + potatoes + fried = yummy, in my book. How could that taste anything but awesome?
Owl -- The salt cod is "fishy" by anyone's standards, so it shouldn't be an entry-level fish. But I'm glad you were at least entertained!
Foolish -- In my research I saw some recipes where it was stewed with tomatoes and capers and I want to try those at some point.
Ann -- Oh, I've done that too. And..."I know what Ann likes. I know what Ann wants..."
Sheba -- I eventually figured it out. Catherine has a post on it and it wasn't hard. Or too hard.
Femme -- Earworm! I love it. That's exactly what I get when I hear a melody in my head and add new words.
Kate -- If you don't like fish, start with some mild white fish (like flounder, grouper, snapper or even tilapia). Salt cod is pretty assertive! I dare say you could make this as a potato side dish without the fish altogether, kind of like a scalloped potato.
Scanner -- I adore sushi! Even my dad, who swore up and down he would never eat raw fish, loved it when he had some that was well prepared. (We started him off with the cooked sushi -- a crunchy shrimp roll, and the like.)
Jonathan -- We loooooove mussels in curry. And mussels are pretty cheap too.
Alysa -- Awww. I so appreciate your kind words. I'm glad I made you laugh.
Susan -- Folks who haven't had easy access to fresh fish don't know what they are missing. Even if it's too expensive sometimes! I went to buy snapper last week and it was $17 a pound. I thawed out some flounder instead.
hugs -- Thanks so much! Your encouragement means a lot.
Paul -- With your help and that of others, I did it! I never would have figured it out on my own. And I needed that dick in a box in worst way!
Chole -- If you have any other suggestions as to songs, I'd love to hear them. I'm always on the lookout!
Joan -- There's plenty I can't do. Sadly. But I don't write about THOSE THINGS. I've been singing the dog song all day and my dogs keep circling, thinking they're going to get treats. Poor guys.
Mumble -- I read that book! It is...dry and salty, but very informative. As part of our Dirty Santa gift exchange I packaged a copy of that book and a box of salt cod. It caused a lot of conversation!
Stim -- I love it!! It fits..."Ah salted cod, how come you taste so good!"
Lucy -- I never thought I'd see it HERE, of all places, but one day...there it was. I've been looking online and it's actually quite a bit cheaper online, and it's not like it's going to spoil! I want to try some other recipes. Even though fish is plentiful here, it can be expensive when fresh, so I like having "back up" fish.
Maria -- Thanks for reading! I'm glad you enjoyed the post.
Robin -- Thanks for stopping by Robin!
Felicia -- I've been reading about those fritters. I'm amazed at how many OSers have pleasant memories of them. They're so exotic to me and yet they must be ubiquitous in other ares of the country (and the world). Makes me feel very provincial!
littlewillie -- I love smelts! Here they come fresh (or frozen) and they look like bait.
Franish -- I'd not something I'd admit to down at the docks. It is amazingly good, however. And unlike with fresh fish, you can't really overcook it! I think people sometimes avoid experimenting with fish because it costs so much and because the time between perfectly cooked and overdone is about thirty seconds! That's intimidating.
Dirndl -- I was soooooo surprised when bottled water (and Madonna) took off. NO ONE around here used to drink water. We drank iced tea (mostly). I scoffed. I don't trust my own instincts anymore. I'm not a Timberlake music fan, but he's definitely got a good sense of humor. That SNL digital short is one of my favorites.
Vanessa -- Salt cod in Puerto Rico? I don't know why I never thought of that. Portugal gets the most press. Any recipe that requires avocado and boiled eggs is a winner in my book.
Larry -- It's REAL that EP? I hope you do enjoy the recipe. If you do some googling, you'll see the traditional recipes it's based upon -- bachalau a gomes de sa. You might come up with other variations. I think it would be hard to mess up unless you didn't add enough moisture for the potatoes (dry potatoes...yuck) or enough seasonings. I borrowed the dill and feta from a baked shrimp and orzo dish we love. Fresh dill is a must
I've been living on the Gulf for a month and a half now and we've been living on shrimp, red fish, grouper, oysters. And mexican food. rated.
p.s. I hope you are appropriately appreciated for being a bad ass in your family.
Mypsyche -- That's so good to know. I was shooting in the dark with this, and I know it's not authentic but it IS really really good. Portugal is one of the places I hope I can visit one day.
Deb -- Once you know about dick in a box, you can't unknow it! There's a lot of seafood here to love! (I thought you were in Colorado??)
Gabby -- I'm sure the salt cad can taste really bad. It has that aura about it (the initial smell, for one thing). I'm glad I never had a bad experience with it and that I got to taste it as a "good thing" from the beginning. It only takes one bad experience, in many cases, to turn you away from a food forever.
Gabby -- Goat cheese!? From my cold dead hands....
I'm really hesitantto show my husband the video (but I probably will because I love it) because I know what I'll be getting for Christmas!!
Algis -- I hope you'll post about other things to do with the salt cod. I'm hooked. Seriously.
McKenna -- I can find it in our local grocery store (Publix) but you can order it online cheaper, and it keeps for a long time. That still seems weird to me. Deeeeeelicious but weird.
Chrissie -- What's your other recipe? You must tell. I get that same "gift" every holiday and anniversary. I'm always happy with my gift; the tough part is pretending to be surprised.
Rated for written eye candy.