Passport & Plate - Bacalao
Philippines | Friday, March 14, 2014 | 2 photos
Ingredients
Ingredients:
2 lbs. Salted Cod Fish (preferably boneless, if not debone after 24 hr soaking)
1 large yellow onion, chopped coarsely
4 large golden potatoes, cut into 1 inch squares
3 cloves garlic minced
1 cup olive oil
1 big can of tomato sauce (approximately a 800ml)
1 cup flour to coat fish
1 can of Garbanzos / Chickpea drained (approximately a 500 ml can)
1 - 12 oz (354 ml) jar or can of roasted red peppers, sliced
1 can of pitted green olives ( approximately 350ml can)
How to prepare this recipePreparation Time: 15 minute
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Soaking Time: 24 hours
Total Time: 24 hours, 45 minutes
Yield: 7-9 Servings
Soak salted cod fish in water for at least 24 hours. Change the water 2-3 times during the 24-hour period.
Remove the fish from the water and pat dry with paper towels.Remove remaining skin and debone fish if sold still with bones. Cut into 3-inch squares and cover fish with flour and set aside.
Place about 1/4 cup of olive oil on a large pan and bring to medium heat. When the frying pan is hot, place the fish in the pan and fry until golden brown. Strain oil and set aside.
Add another 1/4 cup of olive oil in the frying pan and cook potatoes till soft. Add onions and garlic and sauté until the onion is translucent. Simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring often.
Add the cod fish back into the frying pan and reduce heat. Add the garbanzos, olives and tomato sauce. Add remaining Olive oil gradually until dish becomes orange in colour. Simmer until potatoes are much more tender.
serve with french bread.
The story behind this recipeOur food defines us in many ways. "Bacalao" a spanish term for Salt Cod has been a prized recipe in my family for many many generations. How a Spanish dish has landed in my family traces exactly to the year 1521. The year when the Spaniard exploration vessels arrived on the tiny island of Cebu, my hometown. Their arrival established a period of spanish exploration and colonization. Their search for the "spice Islands" resulted to the discovery of my city and exchanges of food and culture.
This dish is very special as it reflects where our values were influenced from, our religion, traditions,history. Aside from that, we only get to eat it once a year, on Lenten season. When I was a child, I remember we had to save some money to buy the Salted Cod Fish as it was not just sold anywhere in our city, which made it quite expensive as we had to buy it in a very special store. I recall spending the whole night deboning the fish with my family and cooking them in a big pot good for thirty people the next morning. A dish so good that it brings all my relatives together after prayer and chatting during good friday, and eat the remains on black Saturday and easter Sunday.
Despite a sad day for us catholics on good friday, how such a powerful man, Jesus, the way the truth and the light has been overcome by death, we still manage to find faith through the company of family and food. A time consuming recipe but undoubtingly worth the sacrifice.
