In Brazil, where I grew up it is very common to find “bacalhau”, which is a salted dried cod fish. So in order to mimic the saltiness of bacalhau, which needs to be soaked in water in order to remove the salt before cooking, I decided to “play” with fresh cod fish. Why not brine cod? So I brined the cod and then use it like some of the dishes that I used to make back in Brazil…it turned out delicious, moist and very flavorful. The potatoes are tender and loaded of flavor.
Ingredients:
Approximately 1 lb cod fish
1 tablespoon rock salt
2 ½ to 3 cups of cold water
3 to 4 Roma tomatoes, sliced
1 large onion, sliced
3 to 4 potatoes, peeled and sliced,
¼ cup of olives, cut into half
Fresh ground pepper
2 to 3 tablespoon of olive oil
Method:
Dissolve the salt in the cold water, cut the cod in approximately 1 ½ to 2 inch and place them in the salty water. Make sure that all the pieces of the cod fish are covered with the salty water. Cover the bowl and place in the refrigerator overnight.
Remove the cod fish from the salty water, rinse under cold water and drain thoroughly.
In a casserole pan place the olive oil, and alternate layers of potato, onion, olives, cod fish, and tomatoes, sprinkle in between layers fresh ground pepper to taste. Make as many layers as necessary until all the ingredients are used up.
Cover the pot and turn the heat to medium low. Cook for approximately 40 to 45 minutes. Uncover and cook under medium for another 5 minutes, until most of the liquid has been evaporated.
Serve hot.
Bacalhau or salted dried cod was produced in order to preserve the cod before the refrigeration was available. Moreover, the process of salting and drying like in many foods, makes the cod tastier.
