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Cod in a Pickle

1K views 18 replies 7 participants last post by  pepper grind 
#1 ·
I don't know if its primarily a Newfoundland thing, but I bought some expensive salt cod frozen from an Italian market yesterday.

I was surprised to see it in an italian market. The owner told me to stick it in water to get rid of some salt for two days. I researched it and everything I read said soak overnight. I guess maybe she suggested longer because it needed time to thaw?

Also, she advised me to dredge it in flour before frying then put tomato sauce over it. I've never heard of that.

So, 3 part question here... Leaving it for 2 days seems like it would be safe because came frozen and in salt, but is it risky?

Why am I supposed to get rid of high salt content only to add bacon later if I'm making fish in brews?

If anyone is from Italy, is salt cod popular in dishes and is it common to put marinara on it?
 
#3 ·
Frozen
Frozen? Never heard of a salt cod that was stored frozen

When soaking, two days is about right. Water needs to be changed a couple of times per day. I soak in the refrigerator.

You need to get rid of some salt because it is very very salty.
Frozen seemed odd to me too because they do have it fresh. I don't know enough about it that I should even be experimenting at all with it, so trying to be safe.

Do you know if I even have to add the salt pork? Seems counter productive to remove salt then put in another salty meat.
 
#4 ·
Bacula I think it's called in Italian?  Used to make fishcakes with it years ago. I have never fried it.
 
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#5 ·
Don't hesitate to expreriment. Freezing it may have been a storage choice of the grocer for some reason but it is unnecessary. I can't imagine it hurting the product. Salt cod, by design, should last until the next coming as long as it is kept dry. Bacon or salt pork will add a flavor as much as salt. Taste while soaking to know how salty it is. Cod cake is my favorite but fried with tomato sauce sounds yummy too.
 
#7 ·
Salt cod is popular in many parts of Italy as well as almost every country, in Europe, with an extensive coastline.  I love the stuff but it's not readily available in the Midwest.  As for pairing it with a tomato based sauce, that also is pretty popular in a number of countries so neither of those things is out of the ordinary.  The only strange thing about your story is keeping it in the freezer.

How long you soak it will depend on the final product.  If I was serving a larger portion, or as a larger piece I would probably soak for 2 days with, at least, 4-5 water changes.  If I'm making fish cakes or Brandade (my favorite use for salt cod) then I want a bit more salt left in it, so I would probably only soak for 24 hours with2-3 changes of water.
 
#9 ·
Adding bacon should be fine, as long as you remove most of the salt from the fish. You wouldn't want salty fish with bacon, yuck you may as well just stick your head in a bowl of salt.

There are many dishes with tomatoes for salt cod. I've made it every way possible, one of my favorites is as fish n chips, as far as I'm concerned it's the best fish for that dish.

If you've never heard of tomatoes then what were you going to do with it?

Here are some of my favorite dishes with salt cod:

Cod stew


A similar cod stew with the addition of chard.


Cod cakes


Brandade croquettes

 
#11 ·
Don't hesitate to expreriment. Freezing it may have been a storage choice of the grocer for some reason but it is unnecessary. I can't imagine it hurting the product. Salt cod, by design, should last until the next coming as long as it is kept dry. Bacon or salt pork will add a flavor as much as salt. Taste while soaking to know how salty it is. Cod cake is my favorite but fried with tomato sauce sounds yummy too.
I will always look for any excuse to sample bacon paired with pretty much anything.(;
 
#13 ·
Salt cod is popular in many parts of Italy as well as almost every country, in Europe, with an extensive coastline. I love the stuff but it's not readily available in the Midwest. As for pairing it with a tomato based sauce, that also is pretty popular in a number of countries so neither of those things is out of the ordinary. The only strange thing about your story is keeping it in the freezer.

How long you soak it will depend on the final product. If I was serving a larger portion, or as a larger piece I would probably soak for 2 days with, at least, 4-5 water changes. If I'm making fish cakes or Brandade (my favorite use for salt cod) then I want a bit more salt left in it, so I would probably only soak for 24 hours with2-3 changes of water.
Good advice I wish I had read sooner! Over-rinsed for my intended dish I think. It needed to be super salty.
 
#14 ·
Here is the first of many threads obtained per the search option on Chef Talk.
The key words were salt cod.
[thread="84318"]Bacalao Salted Cod Ideas [/thread]

mimi
Thanks for the link! When I told my newfie friend about adding milk, he was all "huh?" Hee hee
You are welcome.

Why would someone choose milk over water to prep salt preserved cod (my mom used to do this with fresh venison stating it made it less gamey?)

It wasn't until I had my own place and was cooking the game I bagged did I discover the true flavor of the meat.

Found I loved it.

More depth of flavor and all that.

mimi
 
#16 ·
Adding bacon should be fine, as long as you remove most of the salt from the fish. You wouldn't want salty fish with bacon, yuck you may as well just stick your head in a bowl of salt.

There are many dishes with tomatoes for salt cod. I've made it every way possible, one of my favorites is as fish n chips, as far as I'm concerned it's the best fish for that dish.

If you've never heard of tomatoes then what were you going to do with it?

Here are some of my favorite dishes with salt cod:
Cod stew

A similar cod stew with the addition of chard.

Cod cakes

Brandade croquettes
Your pictures are beautiful! To answer your question, the only recipe I had ever considered for salt cod was fish n brews (fish and hard tack.) I didn't know it was used in other things until I bought it.
 
#17 · (Edited)
I
You are welcome.
Why would someone choose milk over water to prep salt preserved cod (my mom used to do this with fresh venison stating it made it less gamey?)
It wasn't until I had my own place and was cooking the game I bagged did I discover the true flavor of the meat.
Found I loved it.
More depth of flavor and all that.

mimi
I agree 100%. Made some amazing stews and stroganoff this way with my game. I don't question things much when it works. I just let it do its magic.
 
#18 ·
Northern Bavarian recipe for salt cod - very simple peasant cooking, traditionally served on Good Friday here:

Water the cod, then simmer it for 25 minutes. Brown onions and bacon in a pan, toast slices of wheat bread. Layer the cod, bread and onion in a pan, season with pepper. Stir some eggs into the cooking liquid from the cod and pour it over. Bake in the oven. Simple, but clean and delicious.
 
#19 · (Edited)
Northern Bavarian recipe for salt cod - very simple peasant cooking, traditionally served on Good Friday
here

Water the cod, then simmer it for 25 minutes. Brown onions and bacon in a pan, toast slices of wheat bread. Layer the cod, bread and onion in a pan, season with pepper. Stir some eggs into the cooking liquid from the cod and pour it over. Bake in the oven. Simple, but clean and delicious.
Yes , sounds like a similar version of what I was trying to do. The addition of eggs and baking technique is new though, but probably be delicious that way. Thanks!
 
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