Recipe
Bacalao Navideño
Salted fish for Christmas Eve
Chef Brian Okada, Rosa Mexicano, Palm Beach Gardens
Photography by Robert Nelson
On Christmas Eve, this is the traditional comida served in the afternoon, while everyone is busy preparing tamales or turkey for the midnight dinner celebrating the birth of the Christ child. In Oaxaca, salt cod from Norway is available but very expensive. Many people use the salted cazón (shark) meat in the exact same way. You need to soak the fish overnight for the following day’s lunch. This dish is also served “religiously” on Holy Thursday or Good Friday during Lent.
Makes 6 serving
Ingredients
½ lb. bacalao (dried codfish), salted cod or salted shark fillets
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 small white onion, finely chopped
1 lb. tomatoes (2 medium-large round or 8-10 plum), peeled and finely chopped
9 garlic cloves, finely chopped
10 pitted green olives, sliced in rounds
1½ tbsp. capers, finely chopped if large, whole if small
½ tsp. ground white pepper
1 tbsp. white vinegar
4 tbsp. pickled jalapeño chilies, finely chopped
2 tbsp. chopped flat-leaf parsley
Salt
Cover the salted fish with cold water in a stainless steel bowl and allow it to sit overnight. The next morning, discard the soaking water and soak again. Soak for another 6 to 8 hours, and then discard the soaking water.
In a 4-quart stainless steel pot, bring about 6 cups of water to a boil. Add the fish and cook over low heat for 4 to 5 minutes or until the fish is soft. Remove from heat and drain. Reserve the stock. Put the fish in a piece of cheesecloth and squeeze out the water.
In a 10-inch, deep frying pan, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and sautee until clear. Add the tomatoes and garlic and cook until the tomatoes give off their juices, about 10 minutes. Add the olives, capers and white peppers. Add the vinegar, jalapeños, and 1½ cups of the reserved fish stock.
Break the fish into small pieces (about 1 inch) and add to the mixture. Heat through. Add a pinch of salt only if needed. Add the parsley. Serve with lime wedges, totopos, tostadas and fresh baked bolillos and a fresh green salad with radish slices.
Chef’s Hint: In the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, this dish is popular, but people use chipotle chilies instead of jalapeños. Another recipe given to me by the Morales sisters in Etla calls for chilis largos, which are long yellow chilies in vinegar.
