A fresh fish dish is our 3rd helping from La Cocina Vasca: Recipes & Traditions of the Spanish Basque Country by Mariá José Sevilla (published by Ryland Peters & Small), photography by Clare Winfield.
Bacalao fresco con crema de coliflor y piperrada
FRESH COD, CAULIFLOWER PURÉE & BASQUE PEPPERS
Cod, mostly salted, is used in many Basque recipes, both traditional and modern. The Basques have a long history of scouring the North Atlantic Ocean for their beloved fish. Before refrigeration, they then needed to preserve the cod during their journey back to Iberia. Salt, which is plentiful in Spain, was the obvious solution.
Until fairly recently, fresh cod was seldom seen in Spanish markets… or truly appreciated, for that matter. Even today, Basques often buy cod which has been salted. They hold the secret to making it taste delicious: a number of original sauces that I have included in other recipes. Even so, encouraged by today’s chefs, people are looking for an alternative to salt cod. As a response, I am including this recipe for fresh cod which uses a method of preparation that brings back, in a contemporary way, some of the attraction of lightly salted cod. In Spain, you can find bacalao already desalted or partially desalted which is used more and more, especially by professional cooks in some exceptionally good recipes.
Ingredients:
30 g/1 oz. salt
4 cod fillets (each weighing 100 g/3 1⁄2 oz.), deboned and with skin left on
Spanish olive oil, for frying
1 quantity of piperrada (Basque peppers*)
freshly ground black pepper
CAULIFLOWER PURÉE
250 g/9 oz. cauliflower, cut into florets
100 ml/scant 1⁄2 cup whole/full-fat milk
100 ml/scant 1⁄2 cup double/heavy cream
splash of white wine vinegar
fine sea salt
SERVES 4
Directions:
Dissolve the salt in a large bowl with 1 litre/4 cups to make a saline solution. Add the cod fillets to the bowl and leave to soak for 1 hour. Remove the fish from the saline solution and gently pat dry with paper towels. Set aside.
Place the cauliflower florets in a large saucepan. Pour in the milk, then top up with water until the cauliflower is just covered. Season with salt. Cook over a medium heat until tender. Drain the cauliflower, removing as much of the cooking liquid as possible, and leave to cool. Once cool, put the cooked cauliflower in a blender and blitz before adding the cream and blitzing again to make a smooth purée. Season with salt to taste, adding a little white wine vinegar, if needed.
When ready to serve, brush the cod with oil. Cook the fish in a frying pan/skillet over a medium heat for 3–4 minutes on each side or until it takes on a little color.
Spoon some of the cauliflower purée onto each plate, then place the cod on top. Divide the piperrada between the plates, then finish by drizzling over a few drops of oil from the piperrada sauce and seasoning with some black pepper.
*PIPERRADA (PEPPER SAUCE)
3 tablespoons Spanish olive oil
1 onion, peeled and thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
1 green and 1 red (bell) pepper, deseeded and thinly sliced
150 g/51⁄2 oz. tomatoes, skinned, deseeded and finely chopped
1 teaspoon sherry vinegar (optional)
Heat the oil in a frying pan/skillet. Add the onions and garlic, then gently sauté until translucent. Add the (bell) peppers and sauté until their juices evaporate. Add the tomatoes and vinegar, if using, then cook, stirring, for 10–12 minutes. Set aside.
Previous helpings from ‘La Cocina Vasca’ were Puerros con sopa de almendras y peras / Almond Soup With Roasted Leeks & Pear and before that Pinxto of Tomato, Padron Peppers and Iberico Ham…
(* Excerpted from La Cocina Vasca: Recipes & Traditions of the Spanish Basque Country
By Mariá José Sevilla, Published by Ryland Peters & Small, Photography by Clare Winfield © Ryland Peters & Small 2025)
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