andrejthechef
SpainSeafoodDinnerGluten-freeDairy-free

Bacalao al Pil-Pil

Salt cod in a silky, golden sauce made only from olive oil and the gelatin the fish releases, no cream, no flour, just patience and motion.

prep
15 min
cook
30 min
total
45 min
serves
4
level
hard
Bacalao al Pil-Pil, a classic dish from Basque Country

Bacalao al pil-pil comes from the Basque Country, and the sauce is the whole point of the dish. It is nothing but olive oil and the natural gelatin that salt cod releases as it cooks, worked together by hand until it turns thick and golden.

This is not a fast recipe, and it rewards patience more than skill. Keep the heat low, keep the pan moving, and give the emulsion the time it needs. Rush it and the sauce splits instead of coming together.

Part of our 20 best Spanish recipes list.

method

  1. Desalt the cod before you start cooking: soak it in a large bowl of cold water in the fridge for 24 to 48 hours, changing the water 3 to 4 times. Taste a small piece; it should taste like fresh fish with a light seasoning, not like salt.

  2. Pat the cod dry. Heat the olive oil in a wide earthenware cazuela or heavy skillet over low heat. Add the garlic and chili and cook gently until the garlic turns pale gold, then remove them and set aside.

  3. Lower the heat further. Place the cod pieces skin-side up in the oil and cook very gently for 8 to 10 minutes, until just cooked through. Do not let the oil bubble hard; this is a slow poach, not a fry.

  4. Lift the cod out carefully and set it aside, keeping the oil in the pan. Let the oil cool slightly, to around 65°C (150°F).

  5. Off the heat, start moving the pan in small circular motions, or stir gently and constantly with a wooden spoon, while adding the oil back in a thin stream if you removed any. The gelatin from the cod skin will slowly thicken the oil into a pale, creamy sauce. This can take 10 to 15 minutes of steady motion.

  6. Once the sauce is thick and emulsified, return the cod to the pan, skin-side down, spooning the sauce over it. Warm gently for 1 to 2 minutes and serve straight from the pan, with the garlic and chili scattered on top.

chef's tips

  • The sauce is an emulsion, like mayonnaise, except the egg yolk is replaced by the gelatin in the cod skin. Patience, not a special ingredient, is what makes it work.
  • Keep the heat low through the whole process. Pil-pil breaks if the oil gets too hot, the same way a hollandaise splits.
  • Buy cod labeled specifically for this dish if you can; cuts with the skin on release more gelatin, which is what builds the sauce.
  • If the sauce does split, take it off the heat completely and keep stirring. It often comes back together as it cools slightly.