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Insalata di baccalà (salt cod salad)

insalata-di-baccala-salt-cod-salad

Preparation time
over 2 hours

Cooking time
30 mins to 1 hour

Serves
Serves 4

A traditional Italian dish, perfect for sharing. You need to prepare the cod in advance, then you can assemble this impressive meal from a few simple ingredients.

By Francesco Mazzei
From Saturday Kitchen

 

Ingredients

  • 150g/5½oz flaked sea salt
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 5 white peppercorns
  • 3 juniper berries
  • 500g/1lb 2oz black cod loin or good-quality cod loin
  • 50g/1¾oz freshly pitted black olives
  • 500g/1lb 2oz small new potatoes
  • 1 red chilli, seeds removed, cut into thin strips
  • about 100ml/3½fl oz iced water
  • 80g/3oz spring onions, trimmed
  • 70ml/2½fl oz extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for frying
  • 1 fresh thyme sprig

For the dressing

  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 1 tbsp runny honey
  • freshly ground black pepper

To serve

  • ½ pomegranate, seeds removed
  • handful edible cornflowers
  • pinch smoked paprika

Method

  1. Put the salt, bay, peppercorns and juniper berries in a large casserole. Add 1 litre/1¾ pints water and bring to the boil. As soon as it starts to boil, take it off the heat and leave to cool completely. When the water is cold, submerge the cod, cover and marinate at room temperature for 4 hours.

  2. Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.

  3. Put the olives on a small baking tray and put the potatoes in a roasting tin. Bake the olives for 20 minutes, then leave to cool. Bake the potatoes for 30 minutes, or until soft, then leave to cool. Peel and crush the potatoes into almond-sized pieces by hand.

  4. Put the chilli in iced water for 10 minutes.

  5. Slice the white part of the spring onions and set aside, then cut the green stems into very thin strips and add them to the iced water.

  6. When you are ready to cook the cod, preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Drain the cod well and dry it on kitchen paper.

  7. Heat a large frying pan with a few drops of oil and the thyme over a high heat. Add the cod and fry for 1 minute on each side, or until golden.

  8. Transfer the cod to a piece of baking paper, fold the paper over the top and finish the cooking in the oven for 6 minutes. Allow to cool a little, then flake the flesh.

  9. To make the dressing, whisk the lemon juice, oil, vinegar and honey in a bowl, until creamy. Season with salt and pepper.

  10. Lay the cod flakes in a serving dish, then scatter over the potatoes, olives and white onion slices.

  11. Pour over the dressing and garnish with the drained chilli curls and green onion strips, pomegranate seeds, edible flowers and smoked paprika.

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