Today, I'm excited to share a long-awaited recipe: Arroz con bacalao, a delightful rice dish featuring codfish. This particular recipe, a type of "Locrios," has become a cherished favorite for both my husband and me. The key to this dish is finding a quality salted codfish fillet, which I recently discovered at my local supermarket. What sets this fillet apart is its lack of fishy odor during cooking, its exceptional taste, and its ease of preparation.
Before cooking, I recommend soaking the codfish fillet overnight and changing the water twice. This process effectively hydrates and desalinates the fish, ensuring a milder flavor and eliminating the need for rapid boiling to remove excess salt. By taking this step, we can avoid any overpowering fishy odors that may not be to everyone's liking.
Arroz con Bacalao (Cod Fish Locrio)
2 pounds cod fish fillet (1 kilo)
2 pounds of jasmine rice or regular rice
¼ cup olive or vegetable oil
2 Tablespoons tomato paste or ½ cup tomato sauce
juice of one bitter orange or 2 Tablespoons vinegar
1 ½ Tablespoon crushed garlic
1 bay leaf
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
For Seasoning:
1 onion
1 green or red pepper
¼ cup chopped cilantro
1 cube of chicken (optional)
1 envelope of seasoning with achiote (annatto) and saffron
Instructions:
1. Rinse cod fish fillets and allow them to soak in water overnight. Change the water twice during this soaking time. Before cooking, drain off the water, and cut the fillet into two-inch pieces.
2. In a food processor or blender mix the seasoning ingredients: onion, pepper, cilantro, chicken bouillon, and seasoning with achiote, process with little water to achieve desired puree consistency.
3. In a pot pour the oil, when hot, add the seasoning, tomato paste, and bitter orange juice. Bring to a boil, add the cod fish, cover, and cook for five minutes over low heat. After the five minutes have gone by, remove fish from the pot leaving as much sauce as possible in the pot. Reserve.
4. In the boiling cod sauce pour the garlic, bay leaf, rice, and enough water to almost cover it, about 6 cups of water, check for salt, and add ground black pepper. Cover and cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes stirring frequently to avoid rice sticking in the bottom of the pot. Cook until the water has reduced.
5. Add the reserved cod with sauce to rice, mix carefully so as not to disrupt the cod, and leave it as whole chunks if possible. Cover and continue to cook over low heat until the rice is thoroughly cooked, about 15 to 30 minutes, or until the rice is firm
but fluffy and soft inside. Serve with a salad and/or fried ripe plantains (yellow ones) or fried plantains (tostones).
Yield: 8 Servings.
Be strong and courageous, do not fear nor be dismayed. - 1 Chronicles 22:13
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