Bacalao al Pil Pil

Name: Bacalao al Pil Pil
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Basque
Ingredients: 4 Salt Cod Loin (Bacalao)s, skin-on, thoroughly desalted; 350ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil; 6 cloves of Garlic, thinly sliced; 1 1/2 Dried Guindilla Chiles, sliced into rings

Bacalao al Pil Pil is a classic Basque dish of tender, desalinated salt cod cooked gently in fragrant olive oil until it releases a silky, glossy sauce. The combination of garlic and dried guindilla chiles infuses the oil with aromatic heat, while the slow emulsification (the “pil-pil”) creates a luxurious coating that’s irresistible with crusty bread.

Bacalao al Pil Pil is a classic Basque dish of tender, desalinated salt cod cooked gently in fragrant olive oil until it releases ... Show more

es-pv Traditional Basque Recipe

Health Grade

B+ · Healthy

Rating

4.6

Time

25 min

Price

5,43 €

Calories

1377 kcal

nutritious

few ingredients

one pot

gluten free

Method

Prep the cod

Pat the 4 salt cod loins very dry with paper towels; they should already be skin-on and thoroughly desalted. Peel the Garlic and thinly slice all 6 cloves, then slice the Dried Guindilla Chiles into rings and keep everything ready by the stove.

Infuse the oil

Pour the Extra Virgin Olive Oil into a large, heavy skillet and warm it over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and chiles, and cook 3 to 4 minutes until the garlic is pale gold and fragrant; do not let it smoke or brown. Lift the garlic and chiles out to a plate, leaving the flavored oil in the pan.

Cook the cod

Lay the cod in the oil skin-side down and keep the heat very low so the oil barely shivers. Cook 4 minutes, then carefully flip the pieces and cook 3 minutes more, tilting the skillet and spooning the hot oil over the fish so the juices and gelatin emulsify into a glossy pil pil sauce. The cod should be just opaque and flake easily at the thickest part.

Serve immediately

Transfer the cod to warm plates, spoon the silky sauce over the top, and finish with the reserved garlic and chiles. Serve right away while the pil pil is glossy and spoonable.