Stewed salted codfish with vibrant Dominican flavors that you can enjoy year round, but especially during Lent!
Bacalao Guisado con Papas is one the tastiest ways to enjoy fish, especially when youโre infusing Dominican and Caribbean flavors. Now before you cringe and mention that you hate the smell, I challenge you to try my tips and tricks for making the best Bacalao Recipe down below. I guarantee that youโll be a new believer and fan of this classic Dominican Recipe!ย
What is Bacalao?
Bacalao is salted codfish. Bacalao Guisado specifically is stewed salted codfish with vibrant Dominican flavors that you can enjoy year. However, Bacalao is a traditional dish that we mainly enjoy during Lent and even during the holidays. Salt fish is also extremely popular throughout the Caribbean and can be prepared in a variety of ways. I personally love making Bacalao con Papas. The potatoes and the simmer sauce is a match made in heaven! The only way to elevate this dish is by having it with white rice, yuca con mojo, or even tostones on the side!ย
What are other substitutions for Bacalao?
Bacalao comes dried and salted. Using fresh codfish wonโt give you the same effect when making Bacalao Guisado. Instead, you can use salted pollock. Salted pollock may also be labeled as, โbacalao.โ This is also a cheaper alternative to salted codfish. I personally always prefer to use salted codfish because it has a stronger flavor. Hereโs a substitution that you can easily find at Walmart – Salted Pollock for Bacalao Guisado
What Ingredients Do I Need to Make Bacalao Guisado con Papas – Dominican Stewed Salted Codfish?
You can find many of these ingredients at your local supermarket with the exception of the bacalao itself. You may have to venture out to a Latin or Caribbean market to find this fish.
- Boneless Bacalao (Salted Codfish)ย *make sure you choose boneless bacalao*
- Boneless Salted Pollock (Substitution)
- Russet or Golden Potatoes
- Red or White Onionsย
- Bell Peppers or Cubanelle Peppersย
- Fresh Garlicย
- Tomato Sauceย
- Tomato Pasteย
- Dominican Orรฉganoย
- Sazรณn con Achioteย
- Chicken Bouillon or Kosher Saltย
- Pitted Spanish Olivesย
- Cilantroย
- Ajicitos / Aji Dulce (small sweet peppers that almost look like habanero peppers) *optionalย
How can I remove the salt from the Bacalao?
When you buy bacalao from your local supermarket, itโs going to come preserved in a ton of salt! As you can imagine, you have to take a few steps to remove the salt. Not doing so will result in Bacalao Guisado that is inedible or at the very least, insanely salty! Nonetheless, removing the salt is easier than you think!
Step1: Rinse the bacalao under running cold water for about 2 minutes. As you do this, gently run your fingers across the salted exterior. This will easily remove the top layer of salt from the bacalaoย
Step 2: Add rinse bacalao into a stainless steel dutch oven with enough water so that itโs fully submerged. Then bring water to a boil. Once the water begins to boil, remove half of the water and replace with fresh water and bring to a boil once again. Repeat this step 2 more times. In the end, you end up with a tender bacalao that has successfully sweated off all of the salt. You can now shred the bacalao to make Bacalao con Papas and season to your liking!
Whatโs the best way to get rid of the smell of Bacalao Guisado from my home/kitchen?
Itโs no secret that bacalao can quickly make your house smell fishy. Itโs honestly half the reason why so many shy away from making this traditional recipe. However, all you need are cinnamon sticks, water, and vinegar to neutralize the odor. The trick is to bring about 3 cups of water to boil along with cinnamon sticks, and 1 cup of vinegar. Let this simmer away as the bacalao cooks and desalinates. Your family and guests will never know that you made bacalao at home! You can also use this trick anytime you make any other fish recipes like one of my favorites – Camarones a la Criolla (Cuban Style Creole Shrimp).ย
Use Bacalao con Papas to create the ultimate Lent Season and Easter feast! Donโt forget to add these seasonal favorites to your Easter and Spring menu!
- Creamy Tasty Flanย
- Habichuelas con Dulce (Traditional Dominican Sweet Beans Dessert)ย
- Arepitas de Yuca (Dominican Yuca Fritters)ย
- Chulitos de Yuca (Dominican Yuca Fritters Stuffed with Cheese)ย
- Berenjena Guisado (Stewed Dominican Style Eggplant)ย
- Salmon Guisado (Dominican Style Stewed Salmon)ย
All of these dishes are Lent Season and Easter classics! Itโs a sign that winter is on its way and spring is on the horizon. Whether or not you celebrate Easter or Lent, these dishes highlight tradition. Theyโre full of authentic flavor and culture that lets you know that warmer weather is on its way!
Recommended Tools for Making Bacalao Guisado con Papas!
- Stainless Steel Dutch Ovenย *using stainless steel cookware for this dish means that the smell and flavor of the bacalao wonโt linger*ย
- Stainless Steel Braiserย
- Potato Peelerย
- Garlic Press or Mortar & Pestleย
- Metal Strainerย
- Metal Spoons
Don’t forget to Pin this yumminess to your Pinterest boards!
Ingredients
- 1 lbs Boneless Bacalao (Salted Codfish or Pollock)
- 1 Small Red or White Onion
- ยผ Red Bell Pepper
- 2 Garlic Cloves
- ยผ Green Bell or Cubaelle Pepper
- ยฝ tbs Sazรณn con Achiote
- 1 tsp Dominican Orรฉgano
- Black Pepper to Taste
- 2 tbs Tomato Paste
- 1 cup of Water
- 2 Russet or Golden Potatoes
- 2 tbs Chopped Cilantro
- ยฝ tsp Chicken Bouillon or Kosher Salt if needed
- 1 tbsp Pitted Spanish Olives *optional
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
Instructions
- Rinse bacalao under cold water and then place into a dutch oven. Add enough water to fully submerge bacalao. Bring water to a boil and let boil for 10 minutes. Then remove half of the water and replace with fresh water. Bring a to a boil and repeat step of removing water and adding fresh water two more times. The goal is to drain as much salt from the fish as possible. Once the bacalao has been properly desalinated, drain water and set to the sideย
- Peel potatoes and dice into roughly 2 inch pieces. Then place potatoes into a small saucepan with water and kosher salt. Bring to a boil until potatoes are fork tender and not too soft. You want potatoes to hold their shape. Be careful not to overcook potatoes. Once potatoes are cooked, drain, and set to the side
- Mince onions, peppers and garlic and set to the side.ย
- Now that the bacalao (salted codfish) has cooled down, shred bacalao with hands or with a fork. Set asideย
- In a deep skillet or braiser, heat up oil then add onions, peppers, & garlic. Add a pinch of kosher salt to help veggies sweat. Saute for 3 minutes. Then add sazon con achiote, Dominican oregano, and black pepper. Mix everything until it well combined. Then add tomato paste and some water to help break apart the tomato paste. Continue to mix until everything is well combined. You can also use tomato sauce instead.ย
- Once the tomato paste has been mixed into the veggies, add cilantro & water. Mix again and simmer for 3 minutes. Then carefully add bacalao (salted codfish) and potatoes.ย Gently mix bacalao and potatoes until they are covered with sauce. Add extra water if needed. Taste dish for salt and add seasoning salt or kosher salt. Alas, simmer for an additional 5 mins. Afterwards, turn off heat and let rest for 5 minutes before servingย
Notes
You can make this dish with or without potatoes.