Living in Spain 
Eating & Drinking Bacalao
Eating & Drinking Bacalao
Bacalao
Dry salt cod, or Bacalao as it is known in Spain, is an integral part of the Meditteranean diet. For centuries, curing with salt was one of the only methods of preserving fish for long-distance shipping. Traditionally it was dried outdoors by the wind and sun, but nowadays, modern drying takes place indoors using electric heaters. Drying and salting preserves the many nutrients of the fish and is considered to enhance its taste. Once preserved in this way the dried fish has a storage life of several years.
Originating from the need to preserve fish in the absence of mains electricity for refrigeration, salt curing proved to be the best option. The process was cheap, the work could be done by the fisherman or his family, with the resulting product being easily transportable to market.
Most of the world supply is caught in the north Atlantic ocean, mainly off New England, Canada, Norway and Iceland, with the cod destined to be Spanish bacalao being shipped to northern Spain to be salted, cured and packaged. Traditionally it was only sold whole in its natural cured state, but nowadays bacalao can be bought in a variety of shapes and sizes: unwrapped, plastic or vacuum packed, as well as frozen. Some people will buy a whole fish whilst others prefer to buy portions or fillets. To get a good piece of bacalao, one with the right texture, it is advisable to buy a whole fish, complete with the skin and bones, from which to remove the most flavoursome fillets.
So, once bought, how does one prepare bacalao? Firstly, the cod must be cleaned in clear running water and then soaked for between 24 and 48 hours to draw out the salt. Regular changes of water are required. The fish loses its strong smell and saltiness and swells to nearly the size it was when it was fresh. After soaking to reconstitute it, the bacalao can be simply poached and served like other fish or be incorporated in a variety of dishes, such as tapas, soups and stews, emerging from the Spanish kitchen. It is especially delicious when cooked with tomatoes, garlic and red peppers.
Despite the abundance of fresh fish available in southern Spain, there remains a huge market for the dried, salted cod. Owing to its long shelf life, and maybe its unique flavour, salt cod became, and remains to this day, a popular food in inland areas of Spain, Portugal, southern France, and Italy.
Originating from the need to preserve fish in the absence of mains electricity for refrigeration, salt curing proved to be the best option. The process was cheap, the work could be done by the fisherman or his family, with the resulting product being easily transportable to market.
Most of the world supply is caught in the north Atlantic ocean, mainly off New England, Canada, Norway and Iceland, with the cod destined to be Spanish bacalao being shipped to northern Spain to be salted, cured and packaged. Traditionally it was only sold whole in its natural cured state, but nowadays bacalao can be bought in a variety of shapes and sizes: unwrapped, plastic or vacuum packed, as well as frozen. Some people will buy a whole fish whilst others prefer to buy portions or fillets. To get a good piece of bacalao, one with the right texture, it is advisable to buy a whole fish, complete with the skin and bones, from which to remove the most flavoursome fillets. So, once bought, how does one prepare bacalao? Firstly, the cod must be cleaned in clear running water and then soaked for between 24 and 48 hours to draw out the salt. Regular changes of water are required. The fish loses its strong smell and saltiness and swells to nearly the size it was when it was fresh. After soaking to reconstitute it, the bacalao can be simply poached and served like other fish or be incorporated in a variety of dishes, such as tapas, soups and stews, emerging from the Spanish kitchen. It is especially delicious when cooked with tomatoes, garlic and red peppers.
Despite the abundance of fresh fish available in southern Spain, there remains a huge market for the dried, salted cod. Owing to its long shelf life, and maybe its unique flavour, salt cod became, and remains to this day, a popular food in inland areas of Spain, Portugal, southern France, and Italy.
