On this occasion I am sharing a recipe for cod in sauce, a dish full of flavor and tradition. Although its origin is in the Basque Country, the truth is that its popularity has led this dish to cross borders to become a classic in other cuisines, such as the Portuguese. Of course, we are talking about the typical cod in pilpil.
If you think that preparing this fish recipe is a complicated task, with my instructions I am sure that you will achieve a perfect and very tasty dish. Keep reading and discover how to make cod belly with pilpil, you’ll love it!
Ingredients to make Ventresca de backload al pilpil:
- 3 cod belly loins
- 4 sliced garlic cloves
- 1 chili or cayenne
- 1 splash of olive oil
- Piquillo peppers
- 1 pinch of parsley to decorate
How to make cod belly with pilpil:
- For the cod al pilpil to be perfect, the ideal is to use a clay pot, but this time I used a pan type paellera. So, to start preparing the recipe, we put extra virgin olive oil in the paellera, or casserole, without skimping. Separately, we peel the garlic cloves and cut them into slices to include them together with the cayenne. We let these ingredients cook over medium heat but without excessive browning.
- When we observe that the previous ingredients begin to take on color, we take the handles of the paella pan or casserole and move it making circular movements to get the oil to acquire consistency. Then, we put it back on the fire for a few seconds and repeat.
- Once the oil has reached the right consistency, add the piquillo peppers and cook them until golden brown. I incorporated four, but you can add as many as you want. We continue making the previous circular movements and add a splash of the pepper broth to better bind the sauce. We continue with the process of moving the paella, leaving it on the fire and moving it again.
- At this point, we add the cod belly, cutting each loin into three pieces, as shown in the photograph. The trick to better bind the ingredients and obtain the pilpil sauce is to place the skin of the fish downwards. Now, we must take the paella pan or casserole again and keep moving, making circular movements to make the sauce thicken and acquire a yellowish tone.
- Little by little you will see that the willow thickens. When the cod belly with pilpil is ready, we serve the dishes and sprinkle the parsley on top. To eat!
