Bacalao al Pil-Pil

Dear Tas.

The codfish skin, has the Omega oil required to prepare this dish. 

Cod fish do not live well in temperate waters.  They are Arctic Circle dwellers, this, like the salmon, they have a huge amount of Omega Oil.  This ingredient is quintessential for preparing this classic Basque delicacy.


Sounds like you had fun, even though, I would not call it Bacalao Pil Pil  !!

I would call it  " Bacalao al Pimentón "  !! 


Kindest regards ...

Here is a brief write-up on the subject of Bacalao al Pil Pil, which is part of a larger article by Jonathan Harris of La Tienda:

[R]ecently we visited Jamie Jones, our purchasing manager, who lives in the beautiful oceanside village of Zarautz in the Basque Country. He is married to a wonderful Basque woman named Biki and they had us to their apartment for dinner. On the menu was Bacalao al Pil Pil. This classic Basque dish features a loin of desalted cod in a creamy garlic sauce with a touch of hot pepper. The recipe literally has four ingredients, so technique is of the essence! Biki brought out a rustic cazuela dish with a beautiful dark patina from dozens of previous meals. When the cazuela had warmed on the stove, Jamie added a few tablespoons of olive oil and added the cod loins skin side down. He grabbed the side of the cazuela and slowly moved it in a circular pattern, so the cod swirled on top of the oil. Magically, within a few minutes the oil became cloudy, then thick and almost white. Jamie drizzled a little more oil into the dish and repeated the process until the sauce was thick again. Fifteen minutes of careful swirling and it was done – he plated the fish, poured the rich, creamy sauce on top and garnished it with roasted garlic and a few flakes of hot pepper. What had just happened? How had a sauce appeared out of nowhere? It turns out the gelatin in the fish is released during cooking and gets emulsified with the careful movement of the cazuela. This is the essence of Spanish cooking for me – a few excellent ingredients and careful preparation are all that you need. Often a key ingredient can make all the difference.... https://www.tienda.com/dons-travels/updates.html?id=7325

(Note - please click on these links in order to check out these products; doing so helps this forum pay for itself! )