Bacalao a la Veracruzana

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Large nonreactive bowl for soaking the cod
• •Comal or broiler pan for roasting tomatoes
• •Wide clay cazuela or heavy Dutch oven
• •Wooden spoon for folding the cod gently

Instructions

1. 1

   Soak the cod

   Rinse the salt cod under cold water to remove surface salt. Put it in a large bowl and cover with plenty of cold water. Refrigerate for 48 hours, changing the water every 8 hours. Taste a tiny cooked flake after the last soak. It should taste seasoned, not aggressively salty. This step decides the whole dish.

2. 2

   Poach and flake

   Drain the cod and place it in a pot with fresh cold water to cover. Bring just to a gentle simmer, then turn off the heat and let it sit for 10 minutes. Drain, cool enough to handle, and flake the fish into large pieces, removing bones and any tough bits. Do not shred it into cotton. Veracruz cooks leave pieces you can see.

3. 3

   Prepare the tomatoes

   Roast the Roma tomatoes on a comal or under a broiler until the skins blister and blacken in spots. Chop them with their juices. If December tomatoes in your market are pale and hard, use good canned whole tomatoes. That is not laziness. That is knowing the market.

4. 4

   Cook the sofrito

   Warm the olive oil in a wide clay cazuela or heavy Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and cook until soft and glossy, about 12 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, just until fragrant. Do not brown the garlic. Burned garlic turns bitter and then the whole pot pays for it.

5. 5

   Build the sauce

   Add the chopped tomatoes, bay leaves, Mexican oregano, and black pepper. Cook uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring often, until the sauce thickens and the olive oil begins to show at the edges. The tomato should taste cooked and round, not raw. This is the Veracruzana base.

6. 6

   Add the brine

   Stir in the olives, capers, toasted almonds, raisins, whole chile guero en escabeche, and the vinegar from the chiles. Simmer for 10 minutes. The sauce should be tomato-red, glossy with olive oil, salty from the capers, lightly sweet from the raisins, and sharp enough to wake up the cod.

7. 7

   Fold in cod

   Add the flaked cod and potato rounds. Fold gently so the fish stays in generous pieces and the potatoes do not break apart. Simmer over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, until the cod has absorbed the tomato and olive oil. Taste before adding salt. Salt cod brings its own memory of the sea.

8. 8

   Rest and serve

   Turn off the heat and let the stew rest for at least 20 minutes. Stir in the chopped parsley just before serving. Bring the cazuela to the table with bolillos or crusty bread. This dish is better warm than boiling hot, and better on the second day. Recetas probadas y garantizadas.

Chef Tips

• •Buy real salt cod from a fishmonger or a serious market stall, not a thin packet of mystery fish. Good bacalao is thick, firm, and smells cleanly marine, not rancid.
• •The soaking time is not decoration. If the cod is still too salty after 48 hours, soak it longer. Your calendar does not outrank the fish.
• •Use olive oil here. Veracruz is a port kitchen, and this dish carries Spanish trade in its bones. Manteca has its place, but not in this pot.
• •Chile guero en escabeche should stay whole so it perfumes the sauce without taking over. If you use pickled jalapenos instead, say the truth: it is a compromise, not the same brightness.
• •Make enough for leftovers. Bacalao a la Veracruzana is one of those December dishes that tastes deeper after a night in the refrigerator.

Advance Preparation

• •Begin soaking the salt cod 2 days before serving, changing the water every 8 hours.
• •The tomato sauce can be cooked 1 day ahead without the cod and potatoes. Refrigerate it, then rewarm and finish the stew on serving day.
• •The finished stew keeps refrigerated for 3 days. Reheat gently over low heat so the cod does not toughen.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 455g)