Creamy Baked Salt Cod Food

TRADITIONAL NEWFOUNDLAND SALT COD FISH CAKES (MOM-IN-LAW'S RECIPE)

Steps:

• Soak salt fish pieces for 12 to 24 hours in a large bowl of cold water with the fish fully submerged, and place in the refrigerator (draining and changing water once or twice during that time. See Notes below).
• In a large pot of fresh water, boil pieces of salt cod for 15 to 20 minutes (there should be an inch or two of water above the salt cod, basically ensuring that it is fully submerged and covered by the water). Drain.Note: As you are cooking the salt cod, reduce the heat, if necessary, while still maintaining a boil.
• Once salt fish is cool enough to handle, remove skin and all bones (and discard), shred fish with your hands (checking again for bones and discarding) and set the fish aside in a bowl.
• Meanwhile, boil potatoes in another pot of lightly salted water until tender (there should be an inch or two of water above the potatoes, basically ensuring that they are fully submerged and covered by the water). Drain and let cool slightly. Roughly mash potatoes in the pot.Note: As you are cooking the potatoes, reduce the heat, if necessary, while still maintaining a boil.
• To pot of mashed potatoes, add onion, savoury, black pepper, salt fish and about 1 heaping tablespoon of flour. Stir to combine everything, but don't overmix.
• Using a round ice-cream scoop, form salt fish cakes (the size I made were about 60 to 65 grams each or about 2 ounces each). Pat down to form a patty. Place remaining flour in a small bowl. One at a time, lightly dredge fish cakes in flour, shaking off excess.
• Preheat oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit to keep fish cakes warm (as you will be working in batches).
• To cook fish cakes, heat 2 to 3 tablespoons of vegetable or canola oil in a 12-inch cast-iron pan over medium heat.Note: Cook fish cakes are cooked in batches, about 4 to 5 fish cakes per batch.
• Place about 4 to 5 fish cakes in the pan. Cook for about 4 to 5 minutes on one side.
• Flip fish cakes to the other side and continue to cook for another 4 to 5 minutes or until the outside is golden brown and crispy. Transfer fish cakes to a baking sheet and place into your preheated oven to keep warm while you are finishing your batches.
• Repeat process to cook remaining fish cakes.Note: Monitor the temperature as you are cooking the fish cakes so that they don't burn. The skillet tends to get hotter as you are cooking your batches.
• Serve with mustard pickles and a drizzle of molasses (optional). Enjoy!

BAKED COD IN CREAM SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400-degrees.
• Prepare cream sauce (see instructions below) and set aside, keeping warm.
• Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray and place cod fillets in the dish. Sprinkle with salt.
• Combine melted butter and garlic and brush over fillets, reserving any leftover butter mixture.
• Sprinkle seasoned breadcrumbs over fillets and pour remaining butter mixture over the top.
• Pour cream sauce in the spaces between the cod fillets so it fills up the baking dish and just the tops of the fillets are visible.
• Place in the preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the cream sauce starts bubbling.
• When the sauce starts bubbling up, set oven to "broil" and broil for about 3-5 minutes or until the fillets start to turn golden brown.
• Keep a CLOSE eye on it to make sure it doesn't start to burn.
• Remove from oven and serve with potatoes, rice, or vegetables.

ENCA MELLO'S CREAMED SALT COD

Steps:

• Soak the salt cod in the refrigerator 24 hours (or better yet, 48 hours) in several changes of cold water. (Keep the bowl covered so the whole refrigerator doesn't smell of fish.) Drain the cod, rinse, and drain well again. Remove bones and skin, and with your fingers pull the cod into small shreds; set aside.
• In a large heavy skillet set over very low heat, sauté the onion in 3 tablespoons of the olive oil about 15 minutes until very soft and golden, stirring now and then. Meanwhile, stir-fry the potatoes in the remaining oil in a second large heavy skillet over moderately low heat about 2 minutes until they begin to color; add the water, turn the heat to its lowest point, cover, and cook 15 minutes; set off the heat and reserve, still covered. As soon as the onions are softly golden, mix in the cod and 1/2 cup of the milk, cover, and cook over lowest heat, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes.
• While the cod cooks, prepare a white sauce: Melt the butter in a small heavy saucepan over moderate heat and blend in the flour; add the remaining milk and heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and smooth - about 3 minutes. Blend in the white pepper and reserve.
• When the cod has only 10 minutes more to cook, preheat the oven to very hot (450°F.). When the cod is done, mix in the potatoes, white sauce, and cream. Transfer to a buttered shallow 3-quart earthenware casserole or au gratin pan. Bake uncovered for 15 minutes, lower the oven temperature to moderate (350°F.), and bake uncovered 25 minutes longer or until bubbly and tipped with brown. Serve at once with a tartly dressed salad of crisp greens and, to complete the meal, a light dessert of fresh fruit. Portuguese wines available here that would complement the salt cod nicely would be such authoritative dry reds as Dão Grão Vasco or a well aged Colares. The Portuguese always prefer to sip tinto (red wine) with bacalhau, which they consider too rich and heavy for white wines.

CREAMY COD AND POTATO GRATIN

Steps:

• Place potatoes in a large pot of well-salted water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer gently until tender, about 20 minutes.
• While potatoes simmer, trim, bone, and cut the cod fillets across into 2-inch pieces.
• Drain potatoes well and return to the pot. Add a pinch of cayenne, salt, and 4 tablespoons butter. Mash until smooth.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Grease 2 individual-sized casserole or baking dishes with 1 tablespoon butter. Place both dishes on a baking sheet.
• Transfer about 2/3 cup of the mashed potatoes into each of the prepared dishes. Smooth out evenly and make a shallow depression with a spoon down the middle. Set aside.
• Heat remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a deep 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the shallots in the hot butter with a pinch of salt until they just start to turn golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Add cream, lemon zest, and a pinch of cayenne, and bring to a simmer. Add cod and wait for the sauce to come back to a simmer. Cook for 1 minute, while basting with the sauce; turn and cook for 1 minute more.
• Pour in lemon juice and turn off the heat; stir for about 30 seconds.
• Divide the pieces of cod over the potato. Add enough sauce to just cover the fish and return the pan to the stove.
• Bring sauce to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until the sauce reduces and thickens, 1 to 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in tarragon.
• Spoon the thickened sauce over the cod. Add a light dusting of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
• Bake in the center of the preheated oven until cod is cooked through and the sauce is browned and bubbling, 10 to 15 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

BACCALà MANTECATO: A SAVORY SPREAD OF WHIPPED SALT COD

Steps:

• When the baccalà is sufficiently soaked, cut it into small pieces-6 inches or so-and put them in a saucepan or deep skillet with at least an inch of water to cover. Bring to a boil, set the cover ajar (rest it on a wooden spoon set on the rim of the pan), and cook at a steady bubbling boil for 20 minutes or more, until the cod is easy to flake but still has body and shape. Don't let it start to break apart. Lift it out of the cooking water, and let it drain and cool in a colander. Reserve a cup of the cooking water.
• Meanwhile, rinse the potato but leave it whole and unpeeled. Put it in a small pot covered with cold water. Bring to the boil, and cook steadily until you can easily pierce the potato with a knife blade.
• Let it cool, and peel it.
• Set up the electric mixer and flake all the fish into the bowl. Beat with the paddle at low speed to break the fish up more; drop in the minced garlic, and beat at medium speed while you pour in half the olive oil very gradually in a thin stream, then add the potato and incorporate it; continue beating at low speed as you gradually add the rest of the oil.
• Now raise the speed to high and whip the fish to lighten it.
• Reduce the speed to medium and incorporate the half-and- half gradually, then whip at high speed again. At this point the whipped cod should be smooth and fluffy, almost like mashed potatoes but with texture. If it is very dense, you can thin it with the cooking water (but be careful: too much water will make it too salty).
• Finally, season with pepper and beat it in to blend. If you use a food processor instead of a mixer, follow the same order of additions, and process as needed to form a light, smooth spread. Put the spread in containers and store sealed, in the refrigerator, for up to a week. You can also freeze baccalà mantecato; the texture will not be as creamy, but it will have good flavor and makes a delicious pasta sauce.

CODFISH WITH CREAM

Steps:

• Soak the dried salted cod in cold water with the skin side up for 24 hours, changing the water about 4 times. Drain and discard the water.
• Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Place the cod in a pan with enough water to cover; bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes. Remove the cod from the pan; remove and discard the skin and bones. Cut the cod into chunks and set aside.
• Heat 1/2 inch vegetable oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches if necessary, fry the potatoes in the hot oil until just cooked, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to drain.
• Pour the olive oil into a Dutch oven or heat-proof casserole dish over medium heat. Cook the onion and garlic in the oil until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the cod and cook another 3 minutes; stir the potatoes into the mixture and cook another 1 to 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low.
• Melt the butter in a separate pan over medium-low heat; vigorously stir the flour into the melted butter. Slowly stream the hot milk into the mixture while stirring; cook and stir until thick. Season with the nutmeg. Pour into the casserole with 1 1/3 cups cream; stir to coat. Allow the mixture to simmer together for about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle remaining 2/3 cup cream over the mixture; sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the top is browned, 30 to 40 minutes. Serve hot.