Salted cod or bacaloa, is a popular dish in Nuyorican cooking, even to this day, at least in my family. We still eat it frequently with rice. It all goes back to life on the island of Puerto Rico. Salt cod, at the time, was an inexpensive item, easy to find. It was cod packed in salt as a preservative. So, it didn’t’ need refrigeration. Thus, in bygone days, it was available everywhere, not only in the Caribbean but throughout the Mediterranean basin. And, to this day, it’s popular in Spanish, Portuguese, Greek and French cuisine; and prevalent in such far flung places as India and Canada.

As noted, salt cod is high in sodium content. That means it has to be prepared before cooking. This is simple enough: soak the cod overnight in cool water. Drain, then place the cod in a pot or pan of boiling  water to cover and simmer gently for 15 minutes. This removes all traces of excess salt. Finally, drain the cod and, when cool, peel any skin and bones. Then flake so that it is ready to cook. Let me state that most salt cod today is packaged already peeled and boned so, at least, that part of the procedure is taken care of.

Thankfully, the Rivera family has perfected  an easier method to desalt cod. In this case, you place the cod in a pot or saucepan with water to cover and let it stand 20 minutes. Then drain the cod, remove the skin and bones (if not already done), place fish in a skillet and cook over low heat for 5 minutes. This method is quicker than the overnight soaking bit. But, we’re not done yet. The recipe given also calls for achiote,  which is simply cooking 1 tablespoon annatto seeds (found in most supermarkets in 8-oz. jars), in ½ cup olive oil, stirring frequently for 5 minutes. Lastly, straining the oil  into a glass jar or container. The achiote gives the recipe a lovely bright orange-red color and distinctive flavor. If you pressed for time, you can substitute a packet of Goya Sasón or Sa-són Accent mixed in with a tablespoon of olive oil.

Yeah, I know you’re thinking, preparing this dish calls for a lot in terms of time and patience. But, my friends, believe me, it’s well worth it. Once you add the eggs to the codfish, you have a dish suitable for breakfast, lunch or dinner—and one you will go back too time and again.

BACALOA CON HUEVOS
(Codfish with Eggs)

Ingredients::

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
1 pound salt cod, prepared for cooking (see above)
3 tablespoons achiote (see above)
6 eggs, lightly beaten

Instructions:

1. Heat oil in a large frying pan or skillet. Sauté onion and garlic until onion is tender and slightly brown.
2. Add flaked codfish and achiote coloring. Cook for about 3 minutes.
3. Add beaten eggs. Sauté over low heat until eggs are scrambled.
   Yield: 4 servings.

This recipe is called “Florentine Fish Fry.” Now, according to the experts, “Florentine Style” refers to a dish prepared “a la Florentine,” or in the style of Florence, the city in Italy. Usually, this means it contains spinach and a béchamel sauce with grated cheese (Mornay sauce). This recipe contains none of that. It’s basically breaded fish fillets, fried in butter and olive oil and sprinkled with a butter-lemon sauce. So, why it’s called Florentine Fish Fry, I have no idea. The recipe has been in my possession for years; and whoever I got it from, loved to cook with sage (another ingredient in the dish).  Forget the nomenclature. It’s a great lunch, brunch or dinner dish. With some crusty bead and a lightly chilled wine, it makes for a great meal anytime.

This dish will work with any white, firm-fleshed fillets  such as cod, tilapia, flounder, sole, halibut, catfish, haddock or grouper. I would not recommend it with salmon. It’s delicate flavor would be overwhelmed by the breading and the sauce.

FLORENTINE FISH FRY

Ingredients:

1 pound fresh fish fillets
3 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons freshly chopped shallots
Salt and black pepper to taste
2 eggs
2 tablespoons water
½ teaspoon ground sage
1 cup dry bread crumbs
¼ cup butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
¼ teaspoon ground sage

Instructions:

1. Arrange fillets in a single layer in a shallow baking dish. Mix 3 tablespoons lemon juice, 3 tablespoons olive oil, shallots, salt and pepper. Pour over fillets. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour, turning occasionally. You can also placed in a zip-lock bag and do the same.
2. Beat eggs, water, salt and ½ teaspoon sage. Dip fillets into egg mixture then dredge in bread crumps.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet or frypan. Cook fillets unto golden on both sides, about 5 minutes.
4. Remove fillets from pan. Stir in remaining butter and ¼ teaspoon sage. Pour over fillets and serve.
   Yield: 4 servings.

Being a seafood lover, I’m always on the lookout for distinctive ways to cook fish. That being the case, the following recipe, Swiss Baked Fish Fillets I got from as old cookbook on my shelf: Cooking Time Around the World. It’s a cookbook published way back in 1982 by the International Council of Jewish Woman. I do not know if this tome is still in print; but it’s one of my go-to books when I need a good international dish from wherever.

What I like about this recipe is it’s simplicity. All you need is sour cream, Swiss cheese, mustard and scallions, and you have a luscious dinner. In this case, Swiss’s style. This rendition goes great with a gain, be it rice or other, or as we did it this time, over pasta (elbow noodles). It’s filling, and it hits the spot. So, enjoy this one.

SWIASS STYLE FISH FILLETS

Ingredients:

2 pounds fish fillets (any variety)
1 cup sour cream
½ cup slivered Swiss cheese
1 teaspoon mustard
Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2.  Lightly grease a 2½-quart shallow baking pan or dish (we prefer cast iron). Arrange fish in pan. In small bowl combine rest of ingredients. Spread over fillets.
3.  Bake about 20 minutes until fish is opaque and flakes easily. To brown surface, place baking pan under broiler for 1-2 minutes.
   Yield: 4-6 servings.

Bacalao, or salted codfish, is still very popular in the Caribbean. This probably has to do with the fact that in olden days, before refrigeration, encasing fish  (usually cod) in salt was the best preservative. A ship would sail out of New England to say, Newfoundland, catch as much cod as possible,  have it salted and brought back. This became a staple diet in the Caribbean, West and North Africa, Southeast Asia and Southern China. With the advent of refrigeration and the availably of seafood, salt cod lost its cache—but not in our family. We ate it regularly back on the block, and still do. It’s an ethnic thing.

Salt cold, when properly prepared, has a texture and taste unlike any other; and it’s so versatile. In our crowd we cook it in numerous way, whether stewed, in casseroles, with eggplant, with peppers, with rice, you name it. One favorite way, as shown in the following recipe, is with eggs.  It’s a dish good for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner. You can serve it as it with bread or pair it with your favorite grain or pasta, as we did this time around  with linguini. You can even make sandwiches out of it.

One of the reason salt cod lost its popularity is because, due to its salt content (duh?) it must be prepared for cooking. The usual procedure is to soak it in water to cover for at least 6 hours or, better yet, overnight. Then drain and rinse under cold running water, and again place in a pot with water to cover and simmer gently for 15 minutes or so. Now the cod is mostly salt-free. You can flake it and it’s ready to cook. There is an easier method if time is a problem: place cod in a pot or pan with water to cover and let it stand 15-20 minutes. Then drain the cod,  place in a skillet and cook over low heat for 5-6 minutes. This ensures that the salt content is removed. We should note that, these days, in most places salt cod already comes with the skin and bones removed. So, no problem there. This makes it the more easier to prepare. Yes, I know, you’re saying, Why go through all this bother when I can buy any other fish and just heat  it up? Well, because as Tevye said in Fiddler on the Roof: “It’s Tradition!” Look, just try the thing. You’ll be surprised on how delicious this recipe is. Not only that, you’ll be contributing to the history of an edible that has been with us since time immemorial.

And, one last thing. The recipe calls for achiote, that Puerto Rican ingredient that is also used for flavor and coloring. Achiote is simply dried annatto seeds which can be found in Latino or Asian markets. All you do  is, in a small skillet, heat ½ cup olive oil, add 1 tablespoon of annatto seeds (in most supermarkets they come in 8 oz. jars), turn heat to low and cook the seeds, stirring frequently for 5 minutes. During cooking the oil will turn a bright red-orange color. Remove from heat, let cool, place in a glass jar or container and refrigerate. That’s it. As mentioned, you can use the achiote to give food that bright red-yellow hue and enhance its flavor. Among other things, it make perfect yellow rice without spending loads of cash on saffron.

BACALAO CON HUEVOS
(Codfish with Eggs)

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
1 pound dried salt cod, prepared for cooking (see above)
3 tablespoons achiote (see above)
1/8 teaspoon dried oregano
6 eggs, lightly beaten

Instructions:

1. Heat oil in a large frying pan or skillet. Add onion and garlic and sauté until onion is tender and slightly brown.
2. Add flaked codfish, achiote coloring and oregano. Cook for about 3 minutes.
3. Add beaten eggs. Sauté over low heat until eggs are scrambled to taste.
   Yield: 4 servings.