Haitian Codfish

Recipe Source: Mom

Recipe Result: Still trying to get it just like I remember from childhood, but it gets a very good reaction from friends.

In Haiti, they call it morue. In Jamaica, it's saltfish. They use it a lot in Portugal and call it bacalhau. But whatever you call it, it's cod fillet dried and preserved in salt, and it's damn tasty when done right.

This is one of those dishes that my mom would make once in a while, maybe every 2 months. But every time she made it, I'd devour it like there was no tomorrow. I remember it being even better as cold leftovers on crackers. Then again, I remember the smell that it would leave around the house while it was being prepared, and realize that there must have been a reason why Mom would make it so infrequently. But then I also think of the slightly chewy and flaky texture of the cod, the mild residual salt, and the mix of leeks, tomatoes, and herbs that Mom cooks it with, and I remember how I could just munch on it straight out of the fridge.

But when I was back home in NY a couple years ago, I asked Mom to make it for me, so I can understand the process. At first, it seems a little involved, but all it really takes is just an extra 24 hrs of passive prep time. I've tried it a couple times on my own, plus a variation on it from my Spanish/tapas cookbook, and it's rather simple. A few months ago, I made it for a pot-luck with some friends and it got rave reviews.

Let's meet the star of the show: Señor Bacalao

"Hola"

You'll almost always find it in a small wooden box within some plastic wrap. Inside the box, the fillets are hard and dry as a bone, caked in salt, and smell really fishy. Don't let that deter you, the process is worth it.

Step 1: Soak the fillets in cold water in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Change the water 2 or 3 times.

Before

After

This is in order to remove a lot of the salt, and to reconstitute the fish. You didn't think that you were going to be chewing on some messed-up version of fish jerky, did you?

Step 2: Submerge the fillets in water in a large pot and put it over high heat. As soon as the water comes to a rolling boil, turn off the heat and take the pot off the burner. Drain out the fish, and set it aside. This is to remove most of the remaining salt, and to actually cook the fish. When it's done, the fillets will be nice and flakey.

From here, you can get creative with your recipe. Growing up, Mom always made morue with fresh leeks, tomatoes, garlic, and some other herbs.

Step 3: Prepare your veggies.

- Blanch, peel, seed, and chop 2 large vine-ripe or Roma tomatoes.

- Finely chop the white part of one leek. And make sure you clean it off well, they tend to have residual dirt between the top layers them when you just get them from the store.

- Mince 2 large cloves of garlic.

Leeks, gotta use them more often

Step 3: In a large saucepan, saute the leeks in 1 Tbsp of olive oil for 1 or 2 minutes on medium heat. As they go soft, add the garlic, and let it saute and become fragrant. Then add the tomatoes, give it a stir, and let it heat up until the tomatoes start to soften and break down.

Step 4: Before you add the cod to the pan, flake it up with your hands, and then chop it coarsely. Add it to the pan, stir it into the veggies, and season with salt and pepper to taste. You probably on't need a lot of salt because of the residual salt from the preservation. I also like to add 1 or 2 tsp of red wine vinegar, or some dashes of Frank's hot sauce for acidity and spice.

Step 5: Stir it all together, allowing the chunks of cod to break up even more. Let it continue to cook for another 5 minutes on medium heat, so the fish absorbs the flavors from the vegetables.