Name: Basque Salt Cod in Pil Pil Sauce
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 1480 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Spanish
Ingredients: 300 g Salt Cod, soaked and desalted, skin-on pieces if possible; 120 ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil; 5 clove Garlic, thinly sliced; 1 Dried Red Chilli, broken into pieces; 1 tbsp Parsley, chopped, optional garnish

24 hr 40 mintotal

40 min hands-on24 hr hands-off

Prep 15 min · Cook 25 min

Serves: 2
Difficulty: Hard
Spice: Mild

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Ingredients

300 gSalt Codsoaked and desalted, skin-on pieces if possible
120 mlExtra Virgin Olive Oil
5 cloveGarlicthinly sliced
1Dried Red Chillibroken into pieces
1 tbspParsleychopped, optional garnish

Quantities are for 2 servings.

You'll need: Stovetop.

Includes overnight soaking time for salt cod; timing may vary by saltiness and thickness.

Method

Pat the soaked salt cod dry. Check that it tastes pleasantly seasoned rather than harshly salty.
Warm the olive oil gently in a wide pan. Add the garlic and dried red chilli, then cook until the garlic is pale golden.
Remove the garlic and chilli to a plate, leaving the flavored oil in the pan.
Add the cod pieces skin-side down and cook gently. Do not let the oil become too hot.
Move the pan in small circular motions so the cod releases gelatin and the oil begins to emulsify into a pale sauce.
Return the garlic and chilli to the pan, spoon the pil pil sauce over the cod, and finish with parsley if using.

How to tell it's done

The cod should flake gently, and the sauce should look glossy and lightly thickened rather than oily and separated.

Getting it right

Tip

The key is gentle movement and moderate heat; the sauce forms from olive oil and the cod’s natural gelatin.

What to serve it with

Serve with boiled potatoes, bread, or roasted vegetables.

Substitutions

Fresh Cod can be used for a practical adaptation, but the dish will not have the same salt-cod character.
Keep the oil gentle; high heat prevents the sauce from emulsifying properly.
Do not add extra salt until the soaked cod has been tasted.

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