Making your own bacala salted cod

"Gary" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I wanted to make a bacala recipe and after much fruitless searching for
salted cod here in the UK, (I found one online retailer who would sell me a
10Kg box for lots of cash) I decided to try and make my own. It was the
online retailer who suggested it to me.

I've found some information which says to put around an inch depth of salt
in the bottom of a pyrex dish, lay the cod on and cover with another inch
of salt. Leave in the fridge for a few days - up to 5 days was what I saw.
Then prepare the bacala as normal.

I have a couple of questions.

Firstly, is this technique sound? I've never produced my own bacala
before.

Secondly, and this may sound petty, won't it make everything else in the
fridge smell of fish? Can I make the container airtight or does it need to
breathe as it cures?

Cheers

Oh and, hello group!

Most recipes I've seen for USING salt cod involve soaking it to REMOVE as
much of the saltiness as possible. If you have access to fresh cod, why
would you want to add salt? What's the recipe you're thinking of?

"JoeSpareBedroom" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Gary" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I wanted to make a bacala recipe and after much fruitless searching for
salted cod here in the UK, (I found one online retailer who would sell me

a

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

10Kg box for lots of cash) I decided to try and make my own. It was the
online retailer who suggested it to me.

I've found some information which says to put around an inch depth of

salt

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

in the bottom of a pyrex dish, lay the cod on and cover with another

inch

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

of salt. Leave in the fridge for a few days - up to 5 days was what I

saw.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Then prepare the bacala as normal.

I have a couple of questions.

Firstly, is this technique sound? I've never produced my own bacala
before.

Secondly, and this may sound petty, won't it make everything else in the
fridge smell of fish? Can I make the container airtight or does it need

to

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

breathe as it cures?

Cheers

Oh and, hello group!

Most recipes I've seen for USING salt cod involve soaking it to REMOVE as
much of the saltiness as possible. If you have access to fresh cod, why
would you want to add salt? What's the recipe you're thinking of?

Happen to catch this show this AM:
http://www.scandcook.com/default.asp?page=20&recipe=50

Gary said:

I wanted to make a bacala recipe and after much fruitless searching for
salted cod here in the UK, (I found one online retailer who would sell
me a 10Kg box for lots of cash) I decided to try and make my own. It was
the online retailer who suggested it to me.

I've found some information which says to put around an inch depth of
salt in the bottom of a pyrex dish, lay the cod on and cover with
another inch of salt. Leave in the fridge for a few days - up to 5 days
was what I saw. Then prepare the bacala as normal.

I have a couple of questions.

Firstly, is this technique sound? I've never produced my own bacala before.

Secondly, and this may sound petty, won't it make everything else in the
fridge smell of fish? Can I make the container airtight or does it need
to breathe as it cures?

Cheers

Oh and, hello group!

Does this use lye, or am I thinking of something else??

JoeSpareBedroom said:

Most recipes I've seen for USING salt cod involve soaking it to REMOVE as
much of the saltiness as possible. If you have access to fresh cod, why
would you want to add salt? What's the recipe you're thinking of?

It's an Italian recipe using salted cod. It does change the flavor and
texture of the cod which I guess is why there are so many recipes around
using bacala. Hard to get hold of it around these parts though.

"Gary" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I wanted to make a bacala recipe and after much fruitless searching for
salted cod here in the UK, (I found one online retailer who would sell me a
10Kg box for lots of cash) I decided to try and make my own. It was the
online retailer who suggested it to me.

I've found some information which says to put around an inch depth of salt
in the bottom of a pyrex dish, lay the cod on and cover with another inch
of salt. Leave in the fridge for a few days - up to 5 days was what I saw.
Then prepare the bacala as normal.

I have a couple of questions.

Firstly, is this technique sound? I've never produced my own bacala
before.

No. Salt cod is air dried on wooden flakes outdoors after the salt removes
much of the moisture. At no time does the fish see a refrigerator during
the salting or drying process.

Pack the fish in rock salt for a coupla days and dry outside but not in
strong sun. Fans or a sea breeze will keep the flies off. Strong sunshine
will cause the fish bronze in colour.

Quoted message said:

Secondly, and this may sound petty, won't it make everything else in the
fridge smell of fish? Can I make the container airtight or does it need to
breathe as it cures?

I wouldn't keep the moisture with the fish. As moisture comes out, it will
produce a brine surrounding the fish rather than the pure salt. Salt cod is
salt packed and then air dried. You don't even wash the salt off the fish
when you dry it. The only salt you remove from the fish is what you can
shake or scrape off prior to drying.

Quoted message said:

Cheers

Oh and, hello group!

Gary said:

I've found some information which says to put around an inch depth of
salt in the bottom of a pyrex dish, lay the cod on and cover with
another inch of salt. Leave in the fridge for a few days - up to 5 days
was what I saw. Then prepare the bacala as normal.

Quoted message said:

Firstly, is this technique sound? I've never produced my own bacala before.

Years ago in Portugal I saw bacala being dried on what looked like miles
of clothesline on the beach. It looked as though it was first sun
dried, then stored in thick layers of salt.

Quoted message said:

Secondly, and this may sound petty, won't it make everything else in the
fridge smell of fish?

You can be sure of it.

gloria p

Gary said:

I wanted to make a bacala recipe and after much fruitless searching for
salted cod here in the UK, (I found one online retailer who would sell
me a 10Kg box for lots of cash) I decided to try and make my own. It was
the online retailer who suggested it to me.

I've found some information which says to put around an inch depth of
salt in the bottom of a pyrex dish, lay the cod on and cover with
another inch of salt. Leave in the fridge for a few days - up to 5 days
was what I saw. Then prepare the bacala as normal.

I have a couple of questions.

Firstly, is this technique sound? I've never produced my own bacala before.

Secondly, and this may sound petty, won't it make everything else in the
fridge smell of fish? Can I make the container airtight or does it need
to breathe as it cures?

While you have a question about making bacala in order to try a bacala
recipe, I have a question about why you would want to bother to with the
work, time and expense to preserve fresh cod if you could use it for
something better. Salting was a way of preserving cod in the days before
refrigeration and when it took weeks to for the fishing fleets to sail from
the cod fishers of the western Atlantic back to Europe. Bacala is soaked
for a day or two in frequent changes of water to remove the sale and
restore the cod to a somewhat reasonable semblance of the fresh product.

I have to say that I never used to be impressed with cod. Living inland, we
did not have much access to fresh cod, just the frozen stuff. A number of
years ago I was camping in Cape Breton and the fellow at the next campsite
had been down to the docks in Louisburg and bought some fresh cod. He
brought some over for us to try. He had just dredged it in seasoned flour
and pan fried it. It was wonderful.

On Wed, 18 Apr 2007 23:15:35 +0100, Dave Smith wrote
(in article <[email hidden]>😉:

Quoted message said:

While you have a question about making bacala in order to try a bacala
recipe, I have a question about why you would want to bother to with the
work, time and expense to preserve fresh cod if you could use it for
something better. Salting was a way of preserving cod in the days before
refrigeration and when it took weeks to for the fishing fleets to sail from
the cod fishers of the western Atlantic back to Europe. Bacala is soaked
for a day or two in frequent changes of water to remove the sale and
restore the cod to a somewhat reasonable semblance of the fresh product.

I have to say that I never used to be impressed with cod. Living inland, we
did not have much access to fresh cod, just the frozen stuff. A number of
years ago I was camping in Cape Breton and the fellow at the next campsite
had been down to the docks in Louisburg and bought some fresh cod. He
brought some over for us to try. He had just dredged it in seasoned flour
and pan fried it. It was wonderful.

I don't have a problem getting prime fresh cod loin fillets or other cuts,
it's just that I wanted to make a salt cod recipe... Very popular in Italy.

Someone in the UK supplied me with an online retailer that can supply the
salt cod frozen in dry ice for a reasonable price.

I'm hoping the full four course turns out to be worth it...!

--
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Gary said:

I don't have a problem getting prime fresh cod loin fillets or other cuts,
it's just that I wanted to make a salt cod recipe... Very popular in Italy.

I am sure it is good. It just seems like a lot of hassle to buy fresh fish
and go to the effort of preserving it in salt just to turn around and
de-salinate it.

Quoted message said:

Someone in the UK supplied me with an online retailer that can supply the
salt cod frozen in dry ice for a reasonable price.

Salt cod in dry ice? To preserve the salt? There is no need to ice it. In
the local stores it sits out in the open air in a wicker basket.

Quoted message said:

JoeSpareBedroom said:

Most recipes I've seen for USING salt cod involve soaking it to REMOVE as
much of the saltiness as possible. If you have access to fresh cod, why
would you want to add salt? What's the recipe you're thinking of?

That was my question. IMO it is like poaching and canning peaches to
replicate the taste of canned peaches instead of eating a nice fresh peach.

"D. Winsor" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

Quoted message said:

the salting or drying process.

Pack the fish in rock salt for a coupla days and dry outside but not in
strong sun. Fans or a sea breeze will keep the flies off. Strong
sunshine will cause the fish bronze in colour.

Quoted message said:

I'd use solar salt, not rock salt sold for ice melting as that can contain a
lot of impurities. Morton sells a rock salt for making ice cream that may
be OK.

"Dave Smith" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Gary said:

I don't have a problem getting prime fresh cod loin fillets or other
cuts,
it's just that I wanted to make a salt cod recipe... Very popular in
Italy.

I am sure it is good. It just seems like a lot of hassle to buy fresh fish
and go to the effort of preserving it in salt just to turn around and
de-salinate it.

It's a heritage thing here in Newfoundland. Jamacians actually use the
salted cod as a season for stews and sauces and such. I enjoy it braised in
the oven.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Someone in the UK supplied me with an online retailer that can supply the
salt cod frozen in dry ice for a reasonable price.

Salt cod in dry ice? To preserve the salt? There is no need to ice it. In
the local stores it sits out in the open air in a wicker basket.

This would be "green" salt cod that hasn't been completely air dried. I've
seen this product in Toronto imported from Norway but not here in
Newfoundland.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

"Puester" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Gary said:

I've found some information which says to put around an inch depth of
salt in the bottom of a pyrex dish, lay the cod on and cover with another
inch of salt. Leave in the fridge for a few days - up to 5 days was what
I saw. Then prepare the bacala as normal.

Quoted message said:

Firstly, is this technique sound? I've never produced my own bacala
before.

Years ago in Portugal I saw bacala being dried on what looked like miles
of clothesline on the beach. It looked as though it was first sun dried,
then stored in thick layers of salt.

That wouldn't be the way the Portuguese salted and dried their cod when they
fished freely here in Newfoundland. I've seen people here hang their cod on
clotheslines here too, but only after it's already been dried a good deal
after salting.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Secondly, and this may sound petty, won't it make everything else in the
fridge smell of fish?

You can be sure of it.

gloria p

"Dave Smith" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

JoeSpareBedroom said:

Most recipes I've seen for USING salt cod involve soaking it to REMOVE as
much of the saltiness as possible. If you have access to fresh cod, why
would you want to add salt? What's the recipe you're thinking of?

That was my question. IMO it is like poaching and canning peaches to
replicate the taste of canned peaches instead of eating a nice fresh
peach.

We all aren't so lucky as to have access to nice fresh peaches whenever we
want them. Besides tinned peaches are a great canning success story!
Tinned tomatos are more than useful, but I wouldn't want them on a salad.

"Edwin Pawlowski" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"D. Winsor" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

Quoted message said:

the salting or drying process.

Pack the fish in rock salt for a coupla days and dry outside but not in
strong sun. Fans or a sea breeze will keep the flies off. Strong
sunshine will cause the fish bronze in colour.

Quoted message said:

I'd use solar salt, not rock salt sold for ice melting as that can contain
a lot of impurities. Morton sells a rock salt for making ice cream that
may be OK.

It's odd you should mention Morton right now. Just as I'm reading this post
I had to answer the door to sign for a package. Windsor Salt, the Canadian
company of which Morton is the US marketing segment, just sent me free of
charge two packages of Morton Tender Quick. They even paid the postage.
There's some difficulty in purchasing their products here so, after I
enquired of their customer service, they sent it out to me.

You may be more right than not about "solar salt". There's actually a
product here locally called "fisheries salt", but there's certainly been a
lot of rock salt used too. I do believe there's some desalination
facilities in NB and NS that may be at least partially solar. The sun in
those two provinces isn't as rare as it is here in NL.

Quoted message said:

D. Winsor said:

Quoted message said:

That was my question. IMO it is like poaching and canning peaches to
replicate the taste of canned peaches instead of eating a nice fresh
peach.

We all aren't so lucky as to have access to nice fresh peaches whenever we
want them.

That is indeed unfortunate. I consider myself very fortunate to have ready
access to fresh peaches, strawberries and other fruits. Not only can I get
them fresh from the store, but I can get them fresh off the tree from my
neighbours, and I can tell you there is a world of difference between a
peach that has been picked and shipped 2,000 miles or more and then sits on
a store counter for a day or so and one that has just been plucked from a
tree. The difference is even more remarkable with cherries. There is no way
I am going to do something to preserve fresh fruit just so that I can
"refresh" the product and use it for a recipe that calls for preserved
fruit when fresh and raw is so much better.

Quoted message said:

Besides tinned peaches are a great canning success story!
Tinned tomatos are more than useful, but I wouldn't want them on a salad.

Fine example. I used tinned tomatoes frequently, but not on salad.