Bacalao Navideño / Christmas Cod #PumpUpElSabor

Bacalao Navideño Recipe 

• View Ingredients

  • 1 pound dried salted cod
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1 white onion peeled, halved, thinly sliced
  • 4 cloves garlic finely chopped or pressed
  • 1 1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes chopped, or 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 cup diced fire-roasted bell peppers
  • 1 pound baby potatoes, peeled and halved
  • 1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
  • 1/3 cup slivered almonds
  • 1/4 cup manzanilla olives stuffed with pimientos, thinly sliced
  • 5 to 6 whole La Costeña pickled jalapeños
  • 2 tablespoons pickled jalapeño brine
  • 1 tablespoon La Costeña habaneros
  •  French baguette to slice and toast and/or a side of white rice

• View Preparation Instructions

  48 hours before you wish to make the dish, begin preparing your salt cod for cooking. Put it in a bowl, cover with water, and place in the refrigerator. Over the next two days, drain and rinse the bacalao every 12 hours, and cover again with fresh water. After the last rinse, shred the fish and it is ready to use.
  
  Heat the olive oil in a large casserole over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often, until softened and beginning to brown around the edges. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about a minute. Stir in the tomatoes and roasted red bell peppers, cover partially and cook, stirring from time to time, for 10 minutes, or until the mixture has thickened and darkened in color. It should look somewhat chunky.
  
  Meanwhile, in a separate, medium saucepan, boil the potatoes in salted water for about 10 minutes, until just tender; when you insert the tip of a knife it should go all the way in, but the potatoes should not fall apart. Drain and set aside.
  
  Stir the shredded cod into the tomato mixture. Add the parsley, almonds and olives, stir together and continue to cook, partially covered for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally and scraping the bottom of the pan, until the ingredients are well amalgamated and the sauce has thickened even more.
  
  Reduce heat to medium-low, stir in the cooked potatoes and the pickled jalapeños, their brine, and the habaneros. Cover the casserole and simmer for 5 more minutes. The mixture should be very moist and juicy, but not soupy. Serve with additional pickled jalapeños and with white rice on the side or in crusty bread for a torta. 

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