Bacalao en salazón
Also known as Bacalao
Nationwide, Spain
Salt-cured, dried cod.
Overview
Bacalao is cod preserved under heavy salt and usually dried until firm. It is not eaten directly from the cure: the fish is soaked to remove salt, then cooked in dishes that range from Basque pil-pil to Portuguese bacalhau and Castilian Lenten stews.
Where it's from
How to recognise it
Proper salt cod is pale ivory, dry and firm, with a clean sea aroma and visible muscle flakes. Yellow oxidation, ammonia, tackiness or soft wet pockets are faults. After soaking, the fish should regain flexibility without becoming waterlogged.
Origins and history
Salt cod joined northern fisheries to southern Europe long before refrigeration. Basque, Portuguese and other Atlantic fleets pursued cod into distant northern waters, while salt made the catch durable enough for long voyages and inland trade. Catholic fasting rules created enormous demand because fish could be eaten on days when meat was prohibited. Over time, a preservation necessity became a desired flavour and texture. Spain and Portugal developed hundreds of dishes around the fibre, gelatine and salinity of rehydrated cod.
- Protection
- Unprotected.
- Seasonality
- The winter matanza.
Serving and cultural significance
Desalt according to thickness, tasting the soaking water and the fish rather than following the clock alone. Use in pil-pil, ajoarriero, croquettes, stews, fritters or baked dishes. The cured texture is part of the appeal, not merely a substitute for fresh cod.
Recipe and cure
This is not a finished recipe. It is a window into how this meat is traditionally cured. Before you follow any process, please run it through one of our curing calculators, so the salt, cure and timings are right and safe for your own batch.
Make this — the measured Curesmith version →The cure below is the traditional reference. “Make this” opens the measured Curesmith home recipe, scaled to your batch.
- Meat
- fish (cod)
- Cut
- cod loin, boned and skinned
- Salt (%)
- 37.5
- Fermented
- No
- Smoked
- No
- Maturation
- salt-box pack, dry
- Basis
- per 1000 g green meat
- Style
- Salt cod
Ingredients
- coarse sea salt37.5% · 375 g/kg
- sugar12.5% · 125 g/kg
Notes
- A more efficient way of curing this product is using the EQ Method. No more than 2.5% salt to meat weight is required. Use our whole-muscle EQ curing calculator to work out proper ratios and curing times.
- The salt-box figure is a packing amount, not uptake.
- Fish safety differs from meat; use very fresh, well-chilled fish and follow the FDA Fish and Fishery Products guidance for histamine and Listeria control.
In the Codex
What this product teaches, and where to read more.
Temple. Roof, Water Activity