Gabriela’s Bacalao Vizcaína
(Semi-dry Codfish)
1 pound small red potatoes,
baked and peeled
1/2cup sliced almonds
2 tablespoons capers
1/2cup pitted green olives
6 yellow chiles,
roasted and chopped
1/2cup black raisins
1/2cup chopped canned
red bell pepper
White bread
1 pound salt cod
(Norway bacalao)
1 cup olive oil, divided
2 garlic cloves,
finely chopped
1 white onion, chopped
1/4cup chopped parsley
2 cups finely chopped
fresh tomatoes
2 cups canned tomato puree
Salt and pepper
2. In a large pan, heat 1/2 cup olive oil over medium
heat; add the fish and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes.
Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate; cover with
foil to keep warm. In the same pan, heat the
remaining oil over medium heat. Add garlic and
onions; cook, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes.
Add parsley and cook about 2 minutes more.
3. Add tomatoes and tomato puree; cook, stirring,
for 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and
pepper. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring
occasionally, for 20 minutes.
4. Add fish, potatoes, almonds, capers, olives,
yellow chiles, raisins and red bell peppers. Reduce
the heat to low, cover and simmer about 20 minutes.
Serve with white bread. Makes 4 servings.
1. Soak fish overnight in 1/2 gallon of water, changing
the water several times. Drain and simmer fish
in water, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Cool in the
water. Crumble the fish, removing the bones.
Gabriela Mendoza, Mexico City, Mexico D.F.
Mexican Ingredients
Adobo sauce:A paste or sauce made from
chile peppers, vinegar and other seasonings.
Ancho chile pepper:The sweetest of the
dried chiles and the most popular for its rich,
earthy flavor. Frequently combined with other
chiles to make mole sauces, it is the dried
version of poblano.
Chipotle chile pepper:A ripe (and red) jalapeño
pepper that has been dried by smoking over
mesquite wood, giving a distinctive flavor to
many dishes. It is frequently found canned in
adobo sauce.
Chorizo:A spicy fresh pork sausage typically
used in small quantities in beans, eggs, soup
and paella. Spanish chorizo differs from the
Mexican version in that it is smoked and typically
seasoned with smoked paprika.
Guajillo chile pepper:One of the most commonly
used chiles in salsa, sauces, soups and stews,
valued for its distinctive fruity, berry flavor. It is
the dried version of mirasol.
Jalapeño chile pepper:A well-known pepper
that can be used raw when green or when
fully ripened and red. It is also used roasted
in cooking. Ripened and dried jalapeños are
called chipotles.
Longaniza:A spicy pork sausage made
in all Hispanic countries that can be fresh
or smoked. Spelling variations include
longganisa, linguisa and linguica.
Manchego cheese:Nutty, golden, semi-firm
sheep’s milk cheese served as a snack or
dessert with fruit or quince paste; it’s also
good for cooking.
Panela cheese:A fresh, crumbly cheese similar
to Greek feta that is sprinkled in salads, tacos
and burritos and is used in cooking.
Pasilla chile pepper:A dried chile with a rich,
hot flavor that is generally ground and used for
sauces. It is also used in its fresh form, chilaca.
Poblano chile pepper:A dark green chile with
a mild to hot flavor. It is most commonly used for
stuffing because of the thickness of the flesh,
but is also found in sauces. Ripe red poblanos
are dried and are then called ancho.
