Recipe: Cod with Honey Allioli & Spinach

Cod is popular throughout Spain, especially in Catalunya. Because meat was historically forbidden during quaresma (Lent) it is particularly popular at this time of year. There are countless recipes for this favorite fish, and dishes such as bacallà amb samfaina (cod in a ratatouille type sauce), bacallà a la Catalana (cod in a sofregit sauce) and this one, bacallà amb allioli de mel, are traditionally found both in local restaurants and served up in homes across the region.

Using salted cod does require that you plan your cooking carefully, as it needs to be desalinated before you can even think about cooking it, and that can take one to three days. You can speed things up by buying cod that has already been desalinated—it will be labeled "al punto de sal" in the supermarket.

You can make both the spinach and the allioil in advance, leaving only a few short steps to finish the dish off in no time at all.

Preparation time: 1 hour

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS

For the spinach a la Catalana:

  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 600 g fresh spinach, washed
  • 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 100 g raisins
  • 50 g pine nuts
  • salt and pepper
  • olive oil

For the allioli:

  • 1 egg, at room temperature
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • ½ tsp lemon juice
  • pinch of salt
  • 250 ml mild, fruity olive oil
  • 1-2 Tbsp honey

For the cod:

  • 4 cod fillets (desalinated)
  • flour
  • oil and salt

METHOD

Before cooking, salt cod needs to be desalinated, which you should do at least one day before you want to cook it. To desalinate a salt cod fillet, first clean it under running water to remove the outermost layer of salt. Then place it in a recipient filled with enough water so the cod is completely covered. Depending on the thickness of the cod, leave it in the refrigerator for one to three days and change the water every 12 hours. You can reduce your prep time and skip this step altogether by buying cod that has already been desalinated. I also recommend soaking the fillets in milk for about an hour before cooking them.

For the Spinach a la Catalana (can be made ahead):

  1. Place raisins in a bowl of warm water to soak and set aside.
  2. Place the pine nuts in a pan on medium-low heat and toast, then set aside.
  3. Saute the onions in olive oil on medium heat until translucent, about 10 minutes. Be sure to use a very large pan, as the spinach will need a lot of room.
  4. Add the garlic to the pan and saute for 1-2 minutes.
  5. Add several handfuls of spinach to the pan, leaving room to stir it. As the spinach reduces in volume, add more spinach until it has all been added. Continue to cook over medium heat, allowing some of the water from the spinach to evaporate.
  6. Discard the water from the raisins and add them to the spinach. Season to taste with salt—my suggestion is to go light on the salt as the cod is already salted. Stir in toasted pine nuts and set aside.

For the Allioli (can be made ahead):

  1. Traditionally made in a mortar and pestle, you can also whisk it by hand—but be ready for some vigorous whisking. If you're like me and have a miniprimer (immersion blender) you'll have it made in minutes. Put the egg, minced garlic, pinch of salt, lemon juice and about half the olive oil in the miniprimer cup and allow the ingredients to settle for about a minute.
  2. Place the head of the miniprimer in the bottom of the cup and switch it on medium speed. Do not move the mixer up and down, you need to allow it to gradually blend the ingredients. As the ingredients begin to emulsify, slowly tilt the the head of the miniprimer until all the oil is emulsified.
  3. With the mixer on low to medium-low, slowly drizzle in the rest of the olive oil. Once emulsified, gently whisk in the honey to your taste. Set allioli aside.

Final Steps:

  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
  2. Drain the cod fillets and coat them with flour. Heat a little oil in a frying pan and fry the cod for two minutes on each side. Set cod aside and soak up any excess oil with kitchen paper.  
  3. Line the bottom of a baking dish with the cooked spinach. Place the cod fillets on top of the spinach and coat each fillet generously with the honey allioli.
  4. Bake 10-15 minutes in the center of the oven, keeping an eye on the allioli so that it does not burn.
  5. Serve and enjoy!