Bacalhau Espiritual
is a Portuguese preparation of salt cod (known as baccala in Italian). Portuguese cuisine, which relies heavily on seafood and especially salt cod, is rich and flavorful, but not widely known in the United States. Even in major metropolitan areas, it can be difficult to find an authentic Portuguese restaurant. Luckily, many Portuguese recipes like Bacalhau Espiritual can easily be made at home.
Instructions
1. Prepare the cod. Salt cod must be thoroughly soaked to remove excess salt and reconstitute the fish before using. Soak the cod in either cold water or milk for at least 12 hours and up to 2 days, changing the water every 6 to 12 hours. After 12 hours, taste the fish for saltiness--it should be only mildly salty. Remember that you can always add salt to the dish, but you can never remove it if the fish is under-soaked. Once the cod has finished soaking, remove the skin and bones (if present) and mince the fish finely.
2. Mince the garlic and onion finely and shred the carrot. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and saute the vegetables with a pinch of salt until they are soft (but not brown) and have released most of their liquid, approximately 6 to 8 minutes. Add the fish and stir to combine. Remove from the heat. If you would like to add bulk to the dish, you may add a few ounces of fresh breadcrumbs that have been soaked in milk and squeezed dry at this point. Adding breadcrumbs to a dish is very common method used to stretch costly ingredients like salt cod.
3. Prepare a bechamel sauce. Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the flour. Cook, stirring constantly, for a few minutes to eliminate the raw flour flavor, then slowly add the milk, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Continue cooking over medium heat until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper. Adding the optional egg yolks at this point will create a richer sauce. If desired, add a small quantity of the hot bechamel sauce to the egg yolks and whisk to temper the egg yolks, then add the tempered yolks to the sauce and stir to combine.
4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix half of the bechamel sauce with the fish and spread the mixture in a baking dish or individual gratin dishes. Cover with the remaining sauce, then sprinkle with cheese and breadcrumbs. Dot the top of the casserole with butter and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the topping is brown and the mixture is hot and bubbly. Serve immediately.
Tags: Bacalhau Espiritual, bechamel sauce, from heat, medium heat, over medium, over medium heat, Remove from