CookEat Recipe
Florentine Salt Cod
Floured salt cod browned with whole garlic cloves and finished with a little plain tomato sauce.
Method
Steps
Step 1
Gather the ingredients: 600 g ready-desalted salt cod, drained weight, checked for bones; 60 g plain flour; 5 tablespoons olive oil; 3 garlic cloves, peeled and lightly crushed but left whole; 250 g ripe tomatoes; Black pepper; Salt only if needed after tasting the cooked sauce.
Step 2
Use ready-desalted salt cod kept at 4°C or colder. If starting with dried salted cod, desalinate it separately in cold water in the refrigerator, following the supplier’s instructions for its thickness and changing the water as directed; this extra preparation is not included in the cooking time. Do not substitute unsalted dried stockfish without its different preparation. Pat dry and cut into pieces about the size of a palm.
Step 3
Make the plain tomato sauce by chopping the tomatoes and simmering them in a small covered saucepan for about 15–20 minutes until soft, adding a spoonful of water only if needed. Pass through a food mill or sieve to remove skins and seeds. No onion or oil is needed in this simple sauce.
Step 4
Coat the cod well with the flour and shake off loose excess. Heat the oil in a wide sauté pan with the whole lightly crushed garlic cloves. When the garlic starts to colour, add the fish. Brown both sides over medium-high heat, about 4–6 minutes per side, loosening the pieces carefully to prevent sticking.
Step 5
Season with pepper and spoon about 4–6 tablespoons of the plain tomato sauce over the browned cod, keeping any surplus for another use. Simmer for another 3–5 minutes, until the fish reaches at least 70°C. Taste the cooked sauce before adding any salt and serve hot.
Step 6
For the tomato-paste alternative, omit the fresh tomatoes and their sauce preparation. Mix 1 tablespoon tomato paste with about 75 ml water and add at the same final stage; simmer and finish cooking as above.
Cooked it? Rate it.
Cooked 0 times