Spanish · Main · Medium
Bacalao al Pil Pil
Salt cod gently poached in olive oil until the sauce emulsifies into a silky, garlicky glaze. Basque cooking at its most elegant.
The whole recipe in 60 seconds
Bacalao al Pil Pil, in 5 ideas
- The magic is the constant swirling, it is what builds the emulsion.
- Keep the heat low, if the oil simmers hard the sauce will break.
- Desalting properly is half the recipe, taste a flake before cooking.
- Skin side holds the gelatin that thickens the sauce, keep it on.
- A mild olive oil lets the cod shine, save the peppery stuff for salads.
What you need
Ingredients
- 800g salt cod fillets, desalted
- 250ml mild olive oil
- 6 garlic cloves, sliced
- 2 dried guindilla chilies
- Fresh parsley, chopped
- Crusty bread, to serve
How to make it
Directions
- Desalt the cod: soak in cold water in the fridge 48 hours, changing the water 3 to 4 times.
- Pat the cod dry and bring to room temperature.
- Warm the olive oil with garlic and chilies over low heat until the garlic is golden, then remove garlic and chilies.
- Place cod skin side up in the warm oil and cook very gently, swirling the pan constantly, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Flip skin side down and continue swirling until the oil and fish juices emulsify into a creamy sauce.
- Plate the cod, spoon over the pil pil sauce, scatter parsley and serve with bread.
Money saver. Salt cod is cheapest at Portuguese or Caribbean markets, and one bag makes several meals.