This bacalao fish recipe is popular during the holidays. The salted cod is simmered in a savory broth with tomatoes, ancho peppers, and potatoes -it's a family-favorite Mexican recipe!
Christmas and New Year holidays are a time filled with family traditions and a lot of food. In many cases, the food itself is a big tradition, like this salted cod (Veracruz-style), commonly known as Bacalao in Mexico.
In Mexico, Bacalao is a very popular traditional dish served during the holidays (usually with white bread or rice). Salted cod was introduced to the New World by the Spaniards, and has a lot of colorful ingredients typical of Spanish cuisine, like tomatoes, capers, olives, and almonds.
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It is now enjoyed all over Mexico, and like many Mexican dishes, it is subject to many regional variations and adaptions. You can find it also by many names, like Bacalao a la Vizcaína, Bacalao a la Mexicana, and Bacalao a la Veracruzana.
The recipe I’m bringing to you today comes from Tlacotalpan, Veracruz. I found it in a vintage book written by Josefina Velazquez de Leon in 1952. It has the same ingredients as those in the Traditional Bacalao Mexicano, but the cooking techniques are slightly different.
I’m glad I can share it with you so that this recipe can live on and be enjoyed for generations to come!
Even though we didn’t make salted cod for the holidays in my house, I still remember eating it, because several of our neighbors and relatives did make it, and a nice part about our culture is that we love sharing our food!
Additionally, my husband is a big fan of this dish (along with other dishes using classic Spanish ingredients like olives and capers), so I found myself eating it a lot more once I got married.
Frequently Asked Questions About Bacalao Fish
Before I share my bacalao Mexicano recipe, here are a few questions I've been asked about this homemade recipe.
When is this fish recipe usually served?
So basically, you don’t have to go very far to find salted bacalao in Mexico during the holiday season, and sometimes it’ll find you! In addition to the holiday season, Bacalao is also a popular dish during Lent.
Where can I find salted cod?
For this recipe, I used salted cod from Norway. I liked that the filets were big and thick, and despite being a salted fish, this cod still felt fresh and not old. If you would like to learn more about fish from Norway, visit fromnorway.com, where you can find tips for cooking and shopping for fish, as well as nutritional information and several recipes.
Norwegian seafood can be found in grocery stores across the United States —from Costco and Trader Joe’s to Whole Foods and Walmart. Of course, inventory can vary by store and location (region).
Is salted cod good for you?
Yes, salted cod is very good for you! Even though it is lower in omega-3s than other fatty fish (like salmon), it still has plenty of protein and other nutrients in it. Plus, it contains less mercury than other types of fish (like tuna).
Is bacalao and cod the same thing?
Yes, salted cod is the same thing as bacalao fish.
Can you use fresh cod to make bacalao?
The salt from the salted cod is what flavors the dish. Use extra salt if you use fresh fish. Honestly, you can use fresh cod if that's what you have, but you will notice a difference if you use salt.
Salted Cod Fish Recipe
Here is a list of ingredients you will need to make this dish...
- Salted cod
- White onion
- Olive or vegetable oil
- Almonds
- Ancho peppers
- Whole cloves
- Garlic cloves
- Roasted red bell peppers
- Roasted tomatoes
- Potatoes
- Stuffed olives
- Capers
- Pepperoncini
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Parsley to garnish
Please note: For exact measurements of the ingredients listed above, scroll down to the recipe card located at the bottom of this post!
Cooking Tips:
- The saltiness of the fish cod varies from brand to brand. So, before you starting cooking the fish, taste a little piece to see if it needs more soaking time or rinsing. If you feel that it is still too salty, soak the fish for another day.
- You will enjoy a better flavor in this dish if you make it one of two days in advance.
- For the roasted bell peppers, we like to use the canned or jarred version.
- The traditional pepper used for this dish is not easily found here in the United States, but you can use pickled jalapeños or pepperoncini as a substitute.
How To Make Salted Cod Veracruz Style: Step By Step Tutorial
To make things easier for you, I am going to break down the directions to this recipe into sections.
Prepare The Cod
- One or two days before cooking the dried codfish, place it in a large bowl and cover it with water to soak. This step will soften the fish. Change the water at least 2 times during the soaking period, this will help to remove the saltiness.
- On cooking day, drain the soaking water from the bowl, then rinse the fish at least 4 times. It is very important that you rinse it several times to remove the saltiness.
- Fill a pot or large skillet with water, then add the fish and half an onion. Turn the heat to medium and cook. Immediately after it starts boiling, remove the pan from the heat.
- Once it cools off, remove the bones and slightly shred the fish meat.
Roast The Other Ingredients
- While the fish is cooking, soak the almonds in a small bowl with hot water for 20 minutes to remove their skins.
- Also while the fish is cooking and cooling, lightly roast the Ancho pepper on a griddle and then soak it in hot water for 20 minutes to soften.
Tip: Take advantage to also roast the tomatoes and precook the potatoes.
- To pre-cook the potatoes, place them in a saucepan with cold water.
- Turn the heat to medium-high, and once it starts boiling, cook for 2 minutes and then remove from heat. You will see that the potatoes still look undercooked but don’t worry, they will finish cooking with the rest of the stew.
Make The Sauce
- Now, in a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of oil, and use it to fry the almonds until they have a light golden color.
- Place almonds, roasted tomatoes, softened Ancho pepper, 1 roasted bell pepper, 2 whole cloves, 3 garlic cloves, and ½ diced onion in a blender. Process until you have a very smooth sauce. Set aside.
- Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan then add the cod and sauté for 5-8 minutes; this step will add more flavors to the whole dish.
- After sautéing the fish, remove it from the skillet and set it aside.
Simmer The Sauce and Add The Other Ingredients
- Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil to the frying pan and heat it to medium-high. Pour in the blended sauce along with 2 cups of water, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Gently cook the sauce for about 10 minutes, stirring from time to time.
- Finally, add the fish and the potatoes to the sauce. Cook for five more minutes, and then stir in the roasted red bell peppers (cut into strips), olives, capers, and the pickled peppers.
Cook The Soup
- Keep cooking for 20 more minutes on very low heat, allowing it to gently simmer (this will help merge all the flavors together).
- If the stew seems too dry for you, add a little more water.
- Season the stew with pepper and salt if needed, but remember that the fish was quite salty to begin with.
What To Serve With Bacalao- Veracruz Style
I highly recommend serving this with bolillos, which are crusty dinner rolls to soak up all of the tomato sauce!
More Authentic Mexican Recipes To Enjoy
If you enjoyed this recipe for bacalao fish, take a look at some of these other authentic Mexican recipes:
- Cod Crispy Fish Tacos
- Easy Fish Fillets Dinner
- Crab and Shrimp Stuffed Fish Recipe
- Quick Fish Fillets With Parsley Sauce
- Veracruz-Style Red Snapper
I hope you make this salted cod recipe! If this recipe was of any help to you, come back to let me know your experience. Please leave us a comment done below and tell us all about it!
¡Buen provecho!
Mely,
📖 Recipe
Salted Cod Veracruz-Style
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. Salted Cod bone-in (if using boneless, you only need 1½ lb.)
- 1 large white onion
- ¼ cup olive or vegetable oil
- ⅓ cup almonds
- 1 Ancho pepper with veins and seeds removed
- 2 whole cloves
- 3 garlic cloves chopped
- 3 roasted red bell peppers *
- 1¼ lbs. tomatoes roasted
- 1 lb. potatoes peeled and cut into ¾ inch cubes
- ¾ cup stuffed olives drained
- 2 tbsp. capers rinsed and drained
- 6 Pepperoncini or pickled jalapeño peppers **
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Parsley to garnish
Instructions
- One or two days before cooking the dried codfish, place it a large bowl and cover it with water to soak. This step will soften the fish. Change the water at least 2 times during the soaking period, this will help to remove the saltiness.
- On cooking day, drain the soaking water from the bowl, then rinse the fish at least 4 times. It is very important that you rinse it several times to remove the saltiness.
- Fill a pot or large skillet with water, then add the fish and half an onion. Turn the heat to medium and cook. Immediately after it starts boiling, remove the pan from the heat. Once it cools off, remove the bones and slightly shred the fish meat.
- While the fish is cooking, soak the almonds in a small bowl with hot water for 20 minutes to remove their skins.
- Also while the fish is cooking and cooling, lightly roast the Ancho pepper on a griddle and then soak it in hot water for 20 minutes to soften. Take advantage to also roast the tomatoes and precook the potatoes.
- To pre-cook the potatoes, place them in a saucepan with cold water. Turn the heat to medium-high, and once it starts boiling, cook for 2 minutes and then remove from heat. The potatoes will still be undercooked but don’t worry, they will finish cooking with the rest of the stew.
- Now, in a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of oil, and use it to fry the almonds until they have a light golden color.
- Place the fried almonds, roasted tomatoes, softened Ancho pepper, 1 roasted bell pepper, 2 whole cloves, 3 garlic cloves, and ½ diced onion in a blender. Process until you have a very smooth sauce. Set aside.
- Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan then add the cod and sauté for 5-8 minutes; this step will add more flavors to the whole dish. After sautéing the fish, remove it from the skillet and set aside.
- Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil to the frying pan and heat it to medium-high. Pour in the blended sauce along with 2 cups of water, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Gently cook the sauce for about 10 minutes, stirring from time to time.
- Finally, add the fish and the potatoes to the sauce. Cook for five more minutes, and then stir in the roasted red bell peppers (cut into strips), olives, capers, and the pickled peppers.
- Keep cooking for 20 more minutes on a very low heat, allowing it to gently simmer (this will help merge all the flavors together). If the stew seems too dry for you, add a little more water. Season the stew with pepper and salt if needed, but remember that the fish was quite salty, to begin with. Serve with white bread (“bolillo”).
Notes
- The saltiness of the fish cod varies from brand to brand, so before you starting cooking the fish, taste a little piece to see if it needs more soaking time or rinsing. If you feel that it is still too salty, soak the fish for another day.
- This dish tastes better is made one of two days in advance.
- *For the roasted bell peppers, we like to use the canned or jarred version.
- * *The traditional pepper used for this dish is not easily found here in the United States, but you can use pickled jalapeños or pepperoncini as a substitute.
- Bacalao- Salted Cod use to be cooked in a clay pot and served in the same pot to the table, the cook wrapped a kitchen napking around it.
Cristina Jacobson
Excelent recipe. The final dish is less "soupy" than the other recipes found online
beejay
My family has been making snapper/tilapia Vera Cruz for years and years. It's a fail safe way to get people who don't like fish to eat them. I'd never thought of using salt cod. Thank you for the great idea!