Pil pil cod is one of the most popular and traditional dishes of Basque gastronomy, specifically from Bilbao. The sauce obtained after emulsifying the oil with the juice released by the cod is called “pil” and is made with olive oil and garlic, although in addition there are those who add chili pepper or cayenne pepper to add a spicy touch to the dish. Dish.
Cod is a very versatile fish that can be found fresh or salted, although for this very traditional recipe it is preferable to use the one that is sold salted and desalted ourselves or buy it already desalted. The pil sauce is obtained thanks to the emulsion of the hot oil with the gelatin that the fish itself releases, although for this it is necessary to make back and forth movements with the casserole, this being the most complicated step of the entire recipe. However, do not worry because we share all our tricks. So, keep reading and discover how to make pil cod easily and quickly with our tricks.
Ingredients to make easy pil pil cod:
- 3 garlic cloves
- 4 pieces of desalted cod fillets
- 250 milliliters of extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cayenne or chili
How to make easy pil cod:
- Heat the oil over medium heat in a wide saucepan where the cod pieces can be well placed, taking into account that they should not be stacked one on top of the other. Peel the garlic, cut them into thin slices and add them to the casserole so that they can be caramelized without turning brown. After 3 minutes, add the cayenne peppers or chili pieces and let them cook for a couple of minutes. At this time, the garlic will be slightly golden. Take out garlic and cayenne peppers and reserve.
- Let the oil cool. With the lukewarm oil, add the cod skin side up and cook over low heat, as the fish should not be fried. Leave it like this for 5 minutes to start preparing the bacalao al pil basco.
- Let the bubbles come out, which are nothing more than the jelly that is being released. At this point, turn the cod over, add the garlic and cayenne pepper and let the fish cook and release the entire gelatin. You can turn up the heat a bit, but not too much. Begin to move the casserole with circular movements so that the sauce is formed.
- Keep moving the pan until the oil emulsifies with the gelatin and you get your pil cod. Sometimes it costs a bit, but you have to be patient because it ends up coming out. It can take anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes to make the sauce. You will know that the sauce is when there is a thick cream left. Salt is not usually used, since the cod already has it, but it is recommended to try the sauce in case a little is needed.
- Trick: to assemble the pil sauce it is essential to “beat” or stir the oil, but this can also be done with a fork or some manual whisk making quick circular movements. For this step, some people use a small metal or steel strainer as a trick. For these cases, it is better to remove
- All that remains is to serve the cod fillets covered with the sauce and some garlic on top. We recommend accompanying the pil cod recipe with slices of bread, since the sauce requires it.
