The SALTED COD SALAD is one of those dishes that tells the story of Mediterranean cuisine in its most authentic form: simple, fragrant and rich in tradition. The savory and delicate taste of salted cod, simmered slowly until soft and flaky, meets the freshness of parsley, the intense aroma of extra virgin olive oil and the liveliness of spring onions, lemon or olives depending on regional variations. The result is a light yet flavorful salad, perfect both as a festive starter and as a fresh, wholesome main course.
Each bite carries the balance between sea and land, between the meaty texture of the fish and the crunch of the added vegetables. Served warm or at room temperature, salted cod salad is a versatile dish that pleases everyone thanks to its clean flavors and traditional character.
A timeless recipe that continues to win hearts for its natural elegance and everlasting goodness.
SEE OTHER RECIPES WITH SALTED COD:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Medium
- Rest time: 2 Days
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4 servings
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 25 oz salted cod (salt-cured)
- 7 oz cherry tomatoes
- to taste black olives in brine
- to taste capers (salt-packed)
- 1 stalk celery
- lemon juice (from half a lemon)
- 1 bunch parsley
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
Tools
- 1 Pot
Steps
To prepare the SALTED COD SALAD, first soak the fish in cold water for 48 hours, changing the water twice a day. If you are using desalted and already soaked salted cod, skip this step.
Put water in a pot and bring it to a boil. As soon as it boils, immerse the cod and cook it for just a few minutes — about 5 minutes, depending on the thickness of the pieces.
Remove the pieces from the water, remove the skin and any bones, then flake the cod into a large bowl and add the tomatoes, olives, rinsed capers, celery sliced into rounds, parsley, and dress with an emulsion of olive oil and lemon juice. Be careful — do not add any salt.
Place the salted cod salad in the refrigerator until serving time.
SALTED COD
It is the product obtained from North Atlantic cod that has been salted and cured. It seems that the salting procedure should be attributed to Basque fishermen who, following whale herds and arriving in the North Sea, encountered huge shoals of cod near Newfoundland and used the salting preservation method that they already applied to whale meat.
The main producing countries are: Denmark, the Faroe Islands, Norway, Iceland and Canada.
Salted cod is an essential ingredient in many traditional cuisines, where its use alternates with that of stockfish — which is also cod, but preserved by drying.
Both salted cod and stockfish require a long soak in cold water to be usable: the water removes the salt from the former and restores the original texture to the latter.
There are many regional recipes found throughout Italy. In Basilicata, particularly in Avigliano, the so-called baccalà alla lucana is traditionally prepared with dried sweet red peppers called crischi.
In Calabria, the Cosenza-style salted cod is very popular — typical of the city of Cosenza and part of its province — traditionally prepared with potatoes, black olives, peppers, tomato sauce, bay leaf, parsley, salt and pepper.
