World Flavors Cookbook

Bacalao a la Vizcaína

The Basque Country's most iconic cod dish — salt cod in a deep, sweet-peppery Vizcayan sauce of choricero peppers and onions.

Cuisine: Spain

Ingredients

• 800g salt cod (bacalao), desalted 48 hours
• 6 dried choricero peppers
• 3 onions, finely diced
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 slice stale bread, fried
• Olive oil, salt

Instructions

1. Rehydrate peppers in hot water. Scrape flesh. Reserve liquid.
2. Fry bread in olive oil until golden. Set aside.
3. Slowly cook onions in oil until very soft and sweet (30-40 minutes).
4. Add pepper flesh, bread, and some pepper liquid. Blend smooth.
5. Lightly flour and pan-fry cod pieces. Lay in sauce.
6. Simmer gently 15 minutes. The sauce should be thick and brick-red.