Chef Dimitra
Aegean Island Chtapodi me Kritharaki (Χταπόδι με Κριθαράκι)
Aegean island octopus, tomato, red wine, and toasted kritharaki share one pot, so the pasta drinks the briny sauce and stays glossy instead of turning heavy.
Culinary Explorer
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Ionian Bakaliaros Plaki (Μπακαλιάρος Πλακί)
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Ionian bakaliaros plaki is salt cod baked with tomato, garlic, potatoes and olive oil, the Lenten cousin of fried cod, softer, saucier, and made for bread.
Main Dishes
Greek
Comfort Food
Budget Friendly
Special Occasion
30 min
Active Time
1 hr 5 min cook•49 hr 35 min total
Yield4 to 6 servings
Ionian bakaliaros plaki is salt cod baked under tomato, garlic, potatoes, and good olive oil until the fish flakes softly and the sauce gathers at the edges of the pan. It belongs to the fasting table, especially when fish is allowed, and it has the thrift of island cooking: one preserved fish, a few pantry things, and a meal that feeds the table properly.
The one method that decides it is not in the oven. It is the soaking. Salt cod needs two days in cold water, with the water changed often, until the harsh salt leaves and the fish tastes seasoned rather than punishing. Rush that and you've baked a beautiful pan that nobody wants to eat. Do it properly and the cod turns tender, the potatoes drink the tomato, and the olive oil makes the whole dish round.
I keep this version plain and Ionian in its sense of the pan: tomato, onion, garlic, parsley, a little wine, and potatoes to carry the sauce. Λίγα και καλά. There is room in some island kitchens for raisins or a warmer hand with spice, but this is the everyday baked version I would put on the record for a home cook first.
Salt cod became important in Greek cooking because it could travel inland and through fasting seasons when fresh fish was scarce or costly. In the Ionian Islands, long Venetian and later British trade routes made preserved cod familiar, and plaki became one of the home methods for baking it with olive oil, tomato, onion, and garlic. The better-known fried bakaliaros with skordalia is tied to the Annunciation on March 25, but the baked plaki belongs to the same Lenten logic in a quieter family pan.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
salted cod (bakaliaros)
Quantity
800g
soaked 48 hours, water changed 5 to 6 times
potatoes
Quantity
700g
peeled and sliced 5mm thick
large onions
Quantity
2
thinly sliced
garlic cloves
Quantity
5
thinly sliced
ripe tomatoes
Quantity
500g
grated
extra virgin Koroneiki olive oil
Quantity
80ml
plus 1 tablespoon for the baking dish
dry white wine
Quantity
120ml
tomato paste
Quantity
2 tablespoons
flat-leaf parsley
Quantity
1 small bunch
chopped
bay leaves
Quantity
2
dried Greek oregano
Quantity
1 teaspoon
freshly ground black pepper
Quantity
1/2 teaspoon
ground cinnamon
Quantity
1/4 teaspoon
water (optional)
Quantity
80ml
only if the pan looks dry
lemon
Quantity
1
cut into wedges, for serving
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| salted cod (bakaliaros)soaked 48 hours, water changed 5 to 6 times | 800g |
| potatoespeeled and sliced 5mm thick | 700g |
| large onionsthinly sliced | 2 |
| garlic clovesthinly sliced | 5 |
| ripe tomatoesgrated | 500g |
| extra virgin Koroneiki olive oilplus 1 tablespoon for the baking dish | 80ml |
| dry white wine | 120ml |
| tomato paste | 2 tablespoons |
| flat-leaf parsleychopped | 1 small bunch |
| bay leaves | 2 |
| dried Greek oregano | 1 teaspoon |
| freshly ground black pepper | 1/2 teaspoon |
| ground cinnamon | 1/4 teaspoon |
| water (optional)only if the pan looks dry | 80ml |
| lemoncut into wedges, for serving | 1 |
Equipment Needed
- •deep soaking bowl, 3 liter capacity
- •wide 30cm baking dish or metal tapsi
- •box grater for fresh tomatoes
Instructions
- 1
Soak the cod
Rinse the salt cod under cold water, then cut it into 6 large pieces. Put it in a deep bowl, cover with plenty of cold water, and refrigerate for 48 hours, changing the water 5 to 6 times. Taste a tiny flake after soaking: it should be pleasantly seasoned, not sharp with salt. This is the step that decides the dish. If the cod stays briny, no tomato, garlic, or oil can save the pan.
Keep the bowl cold while soaking. Salt cod is preserved, yes, but once it is rehydrating it belongs in the refrigerator. - 2
Start the sauce
Heat the oven to 190C. Warm the 80ml olive oil in a wide pan over medium heat, add the onions, and cook for 10 minutes until soft and sweet but not browned. Add the garlic for 1 minute, then stir in the tomato paste, grated tomato, wine, bay leaves, oregano, pepper, cinnamon, and half the parsley. Simmer 8 minutes, just until the sauce looks glossy and the raw wine smell has gone.
- 3
Layer the pan
Oil a 30cm baking dish or tapsi. Spread the potato slices in an even layer, spoon over half the tomato sauce, then nestle the drained cod pieces on top. Cover with the remaining sauce. The fish should sit partly in the sauce, not drown in it; add the 80ml water only if the potatoes are barely touched by liquid.
- 4
Bake gently
Cover the dish tightly with parchment and foil, then bake for 35 minutes. Uncover and bake another 25 to 30 minutes, until the potatoes are tender, the cod flakes in thick white leaves, and the oil has risen in green-gold pools around the tomato. If the top dries before the potatoes are done, spoon pan juices over the fish and return it to the oven.
- 5
Rest and serve
Let the bakaliaros plaki rest for 15 minutes before serving. It eats best warm, not scorching hot, when the tomato has settled into the potatoes and the cod has relaxed. Scatter over the remaining parsley and serve with lemon wedges and bread for the sauce.
Chef Tips
- •Buy thick center-cut salt cod if you can. Thin tail pieces desalinate faster but dry out faster too, and plaki wants pieces that flake in clean white leaves.
- •Do not salt the dish until the cod has soaked and been tasted. Most pans need no added salt at all. Your grandmother cooked by eye because she'd made it a thousand times. Here are the numbers until you have.
- •This is good warm and even better after 30 minutes on the table. Serve it with country bread, olives, and a bitter green salad. Good olive oil, and patience.
Advance Preparation
- •Start soaking the salt cod 48 hours before cooking, changing the cold water 5 to 6 times.
- •The tomato sauce can be made 1 day ahead and refrigerated.
- •Leftovers keep 2 days refrigerated and reheat best covered in a low oven.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 405g)
Calories
440 calories
Total Fat
19 g
Saturated Fat
3 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
15 g
Cholesterol
60 mg
Sodium
1180 mg
Total Carbohydrates
32 g
Dietary Fiber
5 g
Sugars
7 g
Protein
33 g
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