Heavenly Cod

Heavenly Cod we know as Bacalhau de Ceu  is truly a heavenly baked fish dinner. This recipe calls for the salted codfish to be reconstituted in water prior to cooking.  It needs to soak in cold water for 24 (boneless, skinless) hours, however,  the salted cod that still has bones and skin intact need to soak for about 36 hours. Change the water about every 7 hours, whether boneless or not.  Heavenly Cod is an easy to do, flavorful casserole of fish and potatoes with onions, tomatoes and peppers.   You can prep this a day ahead and bake it off the next day.

Serves 4 to 6

1             pound  salted codfish (bacalhau), soaked in cold water, changing every 7 hours or so, drained, rinsed

1/2         cup olive oil

4             large onions, thinly sliced

1             bay leaf

4             very ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, chopped small or 1 ½ cup canned chopped   tomatoes, drained

4             green or red sweet peppers, stemmed, seeded, thinly sliced, lengthwise

1             tablespoon flour

¼            cup cooking water*

¼            teaspoon ground white pepper or to taste

1             tablespoon coarse sea salt or to taste

4             large potatoes, boiled in their skin

Asssembly

1             cup plain bread crumbs

3             tablespoons soft butter

 

Day ahead:

1. Prepare the fish, soaking in water 24-36 hours, several changes of water

Cooking Day:

2. Drain and rinse the fish. Poach in a pot of simmering water for 15 minutes. *Reserve ¼  cup of the cooking water. Transfer fish to a bowl. When it is cool enough to handle,  and remove any skin and bones. Set aside until needed.

3. Make the vegetable base. (Refogado): Heat one half of the olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat and fry the onions with the bay leaf until the onions are soft and have some color, about 7 minutes.

4. Mix in the tomatoes and garlic.  Simmer for one minute then add the sliced peppers. Cover and continue to cook until the tomatoes are married to the onions about 10 minutes. 

5. Separately, mix the flour with the reserved cooking water, about 2-3  tablespoons. Stir into the tomatoes and onions.  Remove bay leave.  Season with the salt and pepper to taste.

Assembly

6.  Preheat the oven to 350 ° F.  Peel the cooked potatoes and slice thickly.  Layer the potatoes on the bottom of a  well-oiled 9 x 13 baking dish.  Add a layer of the fish. Add the cooked peppers, onions and tomato over the fish.  Mix the bread crumbs with the soft butter and scatter over the top. Bake the Heavenly Cod 30-45 minutes until golden on top.