Bacalao a la Vizcaína

Name: Bacalao a la Vizcaína
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Basque
Ingredients: 1 kg Salted Cod Loins, desalted and skin-on; 6 Dried Choricero Peppers, rehydrated and pulp scraped; 3 Onions, thinly sliced; 4 cloves of Garlic, sliced; 120ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil; 250ml Fish Stock, from cod trimmings and skin; 1 Bay Leaf

Bacalao a la Vizcaína is a classic Basque dish of tender, desalinated salted cod simmered in a glossy, sweet-and-smoky red pepper sauce. The result is comforting and sophisticated: flaky fish bathing in a rich, aromatic sofrito that pairs beautifully with crusty bread or potatoes. This timeless recipe highlights simple ingredients transformed into a deeply satisfying meal.

Bacalao a la Vizcaína is a classic Basque dish of tender, desalinated salted cod simmered in a glossy, sweet-and-smoky red pepper ... Show more

es-pv Traditional Basque Recipe

Health Grade

A · Excellent

Rating

4.1

Time

1 hr

Price

4,81 €

Calories

886 kcal

nutritious

gluten free

high protein

low carb

Method

Soak and prep

Cover the Dried Choricero Peppers with hot water and soak 20 minutes until they are soft enough to split open. While they soak, pat the Salted Cod Loins dry, check for any pin bones, cut them into 4 portions, and thinly slice the Onions and the Garlic. Once the peppers are tender, split them open and scrape out the pulp, discarding the stems and seeds.

Cook the onions

Warm the Extra Virgin Olive Oil in a wide pan over medium heat. Add the onions with the Bay Leaf and cook slowly, stirring often, until they are very soft and starting to turn pale gold, about 15 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute more, just until fragrant.

Build the sauce

Stir in the pepper pulp and cook it with the onion base for 2 minutes so it loses its raw edge. Pour in the Fish Stock and simmer gently, uncovered, for 12 minutes, stirring now and then and pressing the onions against the pan a little so the sauce thickens and turns glossy and deep red.

Poach the cod

Nestle the cod into the sauce, skin-side down, and spoon some sauce over the top. Keep the heat low and simmer 8 minutes more, just until the fish flakes easily and looks opaque all the way through.

Serve

Lift out the bay leaf, then spoon the sauce onto warm plates or a shallow serving dish. Set the cod on top and coat it with plenty of sauce so every piece gets the sweet pepper and onion flavor.