Codfish and crispy peppers (or “codfish trainer style” or codfish Potenza style) is a flavorful fish main course that’s very easy and quick to make, a real delight. Crispy peppers, if you’re not familiar with them or have never tasted them, are crunchy peppers belonging to the Lucanian gastronomic tradition (but also found in Calabrian cuisine), recognized as PAT, which means “traditional agri-food product”. They are a variety of peppers with sweet taste, intense red color, thin flesh, and low water content. All these characteristics, especially the last two, make them perfect for drying. Dried pepper “crowns” are proudly displayed on balconies or in grocery stores, greengrocers, and when I visit Basilicata, I never return without one of these delicacies (it’s not the only one, anyway). I’ve eaten codfish and crispy peppers several times there and today I wanted to replicate it at home, because it’s one of those simple recipes that actually hide a flavor and aroma that whets your appetite immediately.
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Moderate
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Boiling, Frying
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter, Christmas
Ingredients
- 1.1 lbs desalted codfish
- 1 carrot
- 1 onion
- 1 stalk celery
- 10 crispy peppers
- to taste chopped parsley
- 1 clove garlic in its skin
Steps
To prepare this delicious recipe with crispy peppers, let’s start by boiling the codfish.
I boil it in the way I will illustrate below, to prevent it from breaking apart.
–Bring water to a boil in a large pot, flavoring it with a carrot, a stalk of celery, and a piece of onion.
–When the water boils, add the codfish pieces (the most suitable part is the center, at least 2-3 fingers thick, i.e., the so-called fillet or heart of codfish, which is almost boneless).
–Cover the pot immediately, cook for just another minute and then turn off the heat, leaving the codfish to cook in the boiling water off the heat for at least 12/15 minutes, depending on the thickness.
In the meantime, gently clean the crispy peppers from any external residues with a kitchen cloth or paper towel that is not damp, then crumble them coarsely with your hands onto a plate.
After 10 minutes, take one of the pieces, without burning yourself, and open it to see if it is perfectly cooked. The piece should “flake,” that is, the flesh should separate into flakes, and the skin should peel off easily. Repeat this operation with the other pieces; otherwise, leave them in the boiling water for a few more minutes.
Place the flaked codfish on a serving platter or individual serving plates and proceed with the preparation of the crispy pepper dressing.
In a non-stick pan, heat 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil with a clove of garlic in its skin, on the smallest burner over medium heat.
When the garlic begins to sizzle, add the crumbled crispy peppers, stir often, letting them brown for 30 to 50 seconds at most, making sure they are crispy but not burnt. The aroma that will come from them is wonderful.
After the time has passed, add the chopped parsley, turn off the heat immediately, stir, and season each portion with the flavored dressing. Our codfish and crispy peppers are ready.
Bon appetit
