Vizcaina-Style Cod

Pearly white cod loins that flake easily, coated in a deep red and velvety sauce. The intense aroma of slow-cooked onions and smoky peppers defines this Basque classic.

• Prep time: 20 min
• Cook time: 60 min
• Difficulty: Medium
• Calories: 984
• Protein: 131 g
• Carbs: 38 g
• Fat: 31 g

Ingredients

• 800 g Salted cod ( desalted and cut into loins )
• 4 piece Onion ( finely sliced )
• 2 piece Garlic ( minced )
• 100 ml Extra virgin olive oil
• 1 piece Country bread ( stale slice )
• 1 tsp Smoked paprika
• 50 g Wheat flour ( for dusting )
• 5 piece Choricero pepper ( rehydrated and flesh scraped )

Instructions

1. Preparing the aromatic base

   In a sauté pan, sweat the sliced onions with olive oil over very low heat. They should soften without browning until translucent and meltingly tender.

2. Thickening the sauce

   Add the minced garlic and the slice of country bread. Let the bread soak up the oil and brown slightly. Sprinkle with smoked paprika and stir to release the essential oils.

3. Making the Vizcaína sauce

   Incorporate the flesh of the choricero peppers (previously rehydrated). Add a bit of water or broth. Pass everything through a food mill or sieve to obtain a smooth, thick sauce that coats the back of a spoon.

4. Cooking the fish

   Dredge the desalted cod pieces in flour. Sear them quickly skin-side down in a pan with olive oil until the skin is crispy, then place them into the sauce.

5. Final simmering

   Let the fish simmer in the sauce for a few minutes over very low heat. The fish is ready when the flakes start to separate naturally.

Chef's tips

• Never use an electric blender for the sauce; it will aerate it and turn the deep red color into orange. Use a food mill instead.
• The secret is patience: the slower the onions cook, the smoother the sauce will be.
• If the sauce is too thick, deglaze with a little fish stock.

Storage

Keeps for 3 days in the refrigerator. The sauce develops more depth after resting overnight.