Salt Cod with Potatoes

Salt cod with potatoes is a simple and delicious dish from the Italian tradition. Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients

• 600 g of pre-soaked salt cod
• 800 g of potatoes
• 1 large onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 400 ml of tomato puree
• A few tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Chopped parsley (for garnish)
• Black olives (optional)

Preparation

1. Start by preheating the oven to 180 °C.
2. Cut the salt cod into pieces after rinsing it under running water and checking for the absence of bones.
3. Clean the potatoes and slice them about half a centimeter thick.
4. Peel the onion and thinly slice it. Peel the garlic cloves.
5. In a large pan, heat some extra virgin olive oil and sauté the onion and garlic until the onion becomes translucent.
6. Add the tomato puree to the sauté and let it cook for a few minutes.
7. Lay a portion of the potatoes in an oiled baking dish, salt them lightly and cover with the pieces of salt cod.
8. Pour the tomato sauce over, then cover with the rest of the potatoes. Season with a little more salt and pepper.
9. If you wish, you can add black olives to the dish.
10. Bake everything and let cook for about 1 hour or until the potatoes are tender and golden.
11. Serve the dish hot, sprinkled with fresh chopped parsley.

Curiosity

Salt cod is a fish widely used in Italian cuisine and is especially prepared during festive periods. It is important to remember to soak the salt cod well before using it, changing the water several times to desalinate it adequately. This soaking ritual represents a connection to the past times when food preservation techniques were based on methods such as salting to keep food longer.