This potaje stew is made for Good Friday since Spain is 95 % Catholic. Friday is a day when we don't eat meat and for this reason in Wisconsin there is the tradition of the Friday fish fry started by German Catholics. On Fridays the restaurants couldn't afford to lose clients so the alternative was fish to attract the Catholic population.
In Spain, we used to eat fish every Friday but now this tradition is only during lent or just on Good Friday. For centuries, the traditional dish on these days has been a potaje of chickpeas with desalted codfish. I am going to use buttery white beans instead of chickpeas.
Ingredients:
6 pieces desalted codfish
1/2 pound white beans, soaked overnight
1/2 onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, sliced
1/2 green pepper
6 slices of roasted red pepper
2 whole dried cayenne peppers
olive oil
This is a dish you have to plan ahead because of desalting the cod. In a pot with cold water desalt the cod fish fillets at least 24 to 48 hours depending on the thickness. Change the water every 6 hours during the first 24 hours or follow the instructions of the vendor. Dry with kitchen towels or paper towel.
In a quart pan cook the onion, garlic and green pepper. When the onions are translucent, add the white beans and let them cook on low heat until tender or they melt in your mouth. Set them aside.
To cook the cod I tried a new technique since it has to be cooked at a very low temperature, like a confit, and sometimes this is hard to do with certain stoves. What I did was use the oven at the lowest possible temperature as follows:
First put oil, three of the sliced garlic cloves, one dried cayenne pepper and a pinch of salt in a large baggy. Then add the pieces of cod, get rid of the air, close the bag tightly, and put it in a pan with water. Them cook in the oven, checking often for doneness. The result has to be a flaky and juicy fish.
To make the pilpil sauce, remove the cod from the bag. Transfer the oil and a few garlic slivers from the bag to a blender and blend on the lowest speed until creamy.
In a sauce pan with a little oil, cook the remaining slices of garlic and the other dried cayenne pepper. When the garlic turns lightly brown remove it from the pan and set aside.
To serve in individual pasta dishes, put beans and then the cod fish. Add the sauce on top, then the fried garlic, and top with a slice of roasted pepper.
In Spain, we used to eat fish every Friday but now this tradition is only during lent or just on Good Friday. For centuries, the traditional dish on these days has been a potaje of chickpeas with desalted codfish. I am going to use buttery white beans instead of chickpeas.
Ingredients:
6 pieces desalted codfish
1/2 pound white beans, soaked overnight
1/2 onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, sliced
1/2 green pepper
6 slices of roasted red pepper
2 whole dried cayenne peppers
olive oil
This is a dish you have to plan ahead because of desalting the cod. In a pot with cold water desalt the cod fish fillets at least 24 to 48 hours depending on the thickness. Change the water every 6 hours during the first 24 hours or follow the instructions of the vendor. Dry with kitchen towels or paper towel.
In a quart pan cook the onion, garlic and green pepper. When the onions are translucent, add the white beans and let them cook on low heat until tender or they melt in your mouth. Set them aside.
To cook the cod I tried a new technique since it has to be cooked at a very low temperature, like a confit, and sometimes this is hard to do with certain stoves. What I did was use the oven at the lowest possible temperature as follows:
First put oil, three of the sliced garlic cloves, one dried cayenne pepper and a pinch of salt in a large baggy. Then add the pieces of cod, get rid of the air, close the bag tightly, and put it in a pan with water. Them cook in the oven, checking often for doneness. The result has to be a flaky and juicy fish.
To make the pilpil sauce, remove the cod from the bag. Transfer the oil and a few garlic slivers from the bag to a blender and blend on the lowest speed until creamy.
In a sauce pan with a little oil, cook the remaining slices of garlic and the other dried cayenne pepper. When the garlic turns lightly brown remove it from the pan and set aside.
To serve in individual pasta dishes, put beans and then the cod fish. Add the sauce on top, then the fried garlic, and top with a slice of roasted pepper.
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