Traditionally, this is a dish served on Christmas Eve. The leftovers are used to make delicious sandwiches. Please note that the salt cod preparation begins 48 hours in advance.
material: For 6 people
- Dried salted cod 450g
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1 white onion, peeled, halved and finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped or crushed
- 700g chopped ripe tomatoes or canned tomato puree
- 2 roasted red peppers, stems and seeds removed, peeled and diced
- Cut 450g of peeled potatoes into approximately 2cm cubes.
- 2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1/3 cup chopped almonds
- 1/4 cup manzanilla olives stuffed with thinly sliced peppers
- 8 to 10 pickled peperoncini or guero chiles, and assorted other items
- French baguette bread to cut and toast
Preparation:
Start preparing the cod for cooking 48 hours before preparing the dish. Put it in a container, fill it with water and put it in the refrigerator. The next day, drain, rinse and cover with water again. Leave it in the fridge again for 10-12 hours. Drain, rinse and cover with water again. Refrigerate for another 10-12 hours, then drain and rinse. Once the fish is ground, it’s ready to use.
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Once hot, add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes, until softened and beginning to brown around the edges. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and roasted red pepper and cook, partially covered, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes or until the mixture thickens and blackens. It should look a little thicker.
Meanwhile, in a separate medium saucepan, boil the potatoes in salted water until tender, about 10 minutes. When inserting the tip of the knife, go all the way in, but be careful not to break the potato. Drain and set aside.
Add the crushed cod to the tomato mixture and stir. Stir in the vinegar, parsley, almonds, and olives and continue cooking, partially covered, for another 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally and scraping the bottom of the pan, until the ingredients are well combined and the sauce has thickened.
Reduce heat, stir in cooked potatoes and pickled pepperoncini, cover casserole and simmer for another 5 minutes. The mixture should be juicy, but not soupy. No need to add salt.
Serve with additional pickled pepperoncini and white rice if desired.
