Salt Cod With an Iberian Point of View

Salt cod is comfort food on the Iberian Peninsula, where it is called bacalao in Spain or bacalhau in Portugal. Whatever its name, I have always been a fan.Salting and drying codfish changes the flavor, deepens it. You either love it or you don’t. Some think it tastes strong. But 50 million Spaniards can’t be wrong, can they?And Portuguese cooks say there are more than a thousand ways to prepare it. Garlic is usually an ingredient, and potatoes are nearly always an important part of the preparation. Salt cod can be baked, pan-fried, shredded for salad, made into fritters or turned into a stew. And that’s just scratching the surface.First, though, you have to soak it in cold water. Without the soaking, it is unpalatably salty; after an 8-hour bath with a few changes of water, it is ready to use and only mildly saline. The trick to cooking it is never to let it boil but to keep it just under a simmer. Some recipes call for steeping the soaked cod in boiling hot liquid instead.Where can you get your salted cod? More places than you may imagine: Latino groceries, Italian delis, even supermarkets. It is sold in open baskets, in plastic bags and in cute little wooden boxes. Strictly speaking, it’s not always cod you are buying these days. It is well known that over fishing has done great damage to cod populations in the North Atlantic, so limits have been put in place. Now, other fish, like Alaskan pollock, are sometimes salted, which makes a reasonable substitute. And with sustainable management, some cod populations are now burgeoning. Still, what was once a cheap way to feed a family has become somewhat expensive.I digress. With the idea of a remembered salt cod and potato soup in mind, I began experimenting. For the Iberian slant, I knew I wanted saffron, onions, tomato, garlic and pimentón. For more heartiness, chickpeas became part of the equation. Finally, in addition to a pound of salt cod, I added a pound of clams. This last version got the seal of approval when served to a table of friends masquerading as a panel of unbiased tasters.Though this combination is delicious, feel free to elaborate or improvise. Mussels instead of clams. A few calamari. Cook your own chickpeas - they are always better than canned, and using the chickpea broth is a wonderful way to build flavor in this and many other stews.Salt Cod, Potato and Chickpea Stew
Time: 1 1/2 hours, plus overnight soaking1 pound boneless salt cod fillets1 pound dried chickpeas1 small onion, halved and stuck with 2 cloves1 bay leafSalt and pepper4 tablespoons olive oil1 large onion, diced2 teaspoons chopped garlicPinch of crumbled saffron2 teaspoons pimentón (smoked paprika)2 tablespoons tomato paste1/2 cup dry white wine1 1/2 pounds yellow-fleshed potatoes, such as Yukon Gold, peeled and cut in thick wedges12 littleneck clams, about 1 pound2 cups roughly chopped cilantro1. Rinse salt cod, then place in a bowl of cold water and soak for 8 hours or overnight. Change water every 2 hours if possible. (If desired, fully soaked cod may be refrigerated, drained and wrapped in plastic for up to 2 days.) Also put chickpeas in a bowl and cover with cold water by 2 inches. Leave to soak 8 hours or overnight.2. The next day, drain cod, chop it into 1-inch chunks, put it in a bowl and set aside. Put chickpeas and soaking water in a large pot over high heat. Add clove-stuck onion and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Skim foam, turn down heat and simmer for about 45 minutes, until tender. Halfway through cooking, add 2 teaspoons salt. Turn off heat and leave chickpeas in their broth until ready to use. (Chickpeas may be cooked several hours ahead or even a day in advance if desired.)3. Make the stew: In a heavy soup pot, warm olive oil over high heat. Add diced onion and let sizzle, then reduce heat and cook until softened, stirring, about 10 minutes. Stir in garlic, saffron, pimentón and tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes. Season mixture with salt and pepper. Add wine and bring to a brisk simmer. Drain chickpeas, reserving 6 cups of the broth. Add the broth and potatoes to the pot, cover and cook until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.4. Ladle about 2 cups of the stew’s liquid over the salt cod pieces and let steep for 10 minutes (the fish will cook while steeping), then pour this mixture into the pot. Add the clams and reserved chickpeas to the pot and simmer, covered, until clams open, 5 to 7 minutes. To serve, stir in the cilantro and ladle the stew into big bowls.Yield: 4 to 6 servings
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