Creamed Codfish Recipes

Steps:

• Soak the dried salted cod in cold water with the skin side up for 24 hours, changing the water about 4 times. Drain and discard the water.
• Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Place the cod in a pan with enough water to cover; bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes. Remove the cod from the pan; remove and discard the skin and bones. Cut the cod into chunks and set aside.
• Heat 1/2 inch vegetable oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches if necessary, fry the potatoes in the hot oil until just cooked, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to drain.
• Pour the olive oil into a Dutch oven or heat-proof casserole dish over medium heat. Cook the onion and garlic in the oil until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the cod and cook another 3 minutes; stir the potatoes into the mixture and cook another 1 to 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low.
• Melt the butter in a separate pan over medium-low heat; vigorously stir the flour into the melted butter. Slowly stream the hot milk into the mixture while stirring; cook and stir until thick. Season with the nutmeg. Pour into the casserole with 1 1/3 cups cream; stir to coat. Allow the mixture to simmer together for about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle remaining 2/3 cup cream over the mixture; sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the top is browned, 30 to 40 minutes. Serve hot.

Steps:

• 1. Soak codfish several hours in tepid water. One hour before serving, drain off water, cover with fresh cold water; simmer but do not boil until fish is tender (approximately one hour.)
• 2. Drain well so that no water is left. Cover fish with heavy cream -- bring to boil BUT ~ just bring it to boiling point, do not actually boil.
• 3. Add pepper and butter. Serve at once with baked potato.

Steps:

• Soak the salt cod in the refrigerator 24 hours (or better yet, 48 hours) in several changes of cold water. (Keep the bowl covered so the whole refrigerator doesn't smell of fish.) Drain the cod, rinse, and drain well again. Remove bones and skin, and with your fingers pull the cod into small shreds; set aside.
• In a large heavy skillet set over very low heat, sauté the onion in 3 tablespoons of the olive oil about 15 minutes until very soft and golden, stirring now and then. Meanwhile, stir-fry the potatoes in the remaining oil in a second large heavy skillet over moderately low heat about 2 minutes until they begin to color; add the water, turn the heat to its lowest point, cover, and cook 15 minutes; set off the heat and reserve, still covered. As soon as the onions are softly golden, mix in the cod and 1/2 cup of the milk, cover, and cook over lowest heat, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes.
• While the cod cooks, prepare a white sauce: Melt the butter in a small heavy saucepan over moderate heat and blend in the flour; add the remaining milk and heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and smooth - about 3 minutes. Blend in the white pepper and reserve.
• When the cod has only 10 minutes more to cook, preheat the oven to very hot (450°F.). When the cod is done, mix in the potatoes, white sauce, and cream. Transfer to a buttered shallow 3-quart earthenware casserole or au gratin pan. Bake uncovered for 15 minutes, lower the oven temperature to moderate (350°F.), and bake uncovered 25 minutes longer or until bubbly and tipped with brown. Serve at once with a tartly dressed salad of crisp greens and, to complete the meal, a light dessert of fresh fruit. Portuguese wines available here that would complement the salt cod nicely would be such authoritative dry reds as Dão Grão Vasco or a well aged Colares. The Portuguese always prefer to sip tinto (red wine) with bacalhau, which they consider too rich and heavy for white wines.

Steps:

• Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a saucepan. Add the flour and stir with a wire whisk until blended.
• Add the milk and cream all at once. Stir rapidly with the whisk. Bring to a boil and add the Gruyere cheese. Stir until the cheese has melted. Add the egg yolk, stirring rapidly with the whisk. Add salt, pepper, nutmeg and cayenne. Simmer, stirring, for 1 minute. Set aside, cover and keep warm.
• Pick over spinach and discard any tough stems. Wash spinach thoroughly to remove any sand. Put spinach in a large saucepan, add salt and cook over high heat, stirring, until wilted, about 2 minutes. Drain well and squeeze out excess moisture. Set aside and keep warm.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
• Grease a metal baking dish with 1 tablespoon of the butter. Scatter the shallots over the dish. Neatly arrange the pieces of codfish over the shallots. Season with salt and pepper. Add the wine, cover with foil and bring to a boil on top of the stove. Put the dish in the oven and bake 5 minutes.
• Select a baking dish large enough to hold the fish in one layer. Spread the remaining 1 tablespoon butter over the bottom of the dish. Spoon the spinach over the bottom and carefully transfer the cooked codfish over the spinach, reserving the wine liquid in the first dish.
• Reduce by half the wine liquid in the metal baking dish and add it to the cheese sauce. Bring to a boil, stirring with a wire whisk.
• Spoon the hot sauce over the fish, smoothing it over to cover the fish. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Turn on the broiler unit and put the dish under the broiler with the door open until nicely browned and bubbling.

Steps:

• Saute the chopped bacon and onion for about 10 minutes over medium heat.
• Add salt and peppered cod to pan, moving the bacon and onion mixture around the fillets, reduce heat a little and turn the cod over in about 5 minutes.
• Continue to cook the cod until it flakes easy.
• Remove the cod, bacon, onions to a warm serving dish, and set aside, covering the fillets.
• Reduce the heat to low and add flour and butter, stirring to brown the flour.
• Add the milk and stir until it makes a thick brown gravy.
• Ladle gravy over fillets and bacon, onion mixture.
• Potatoes or rice go well with this dish.
• Have the fishmonger cut the blood line from the fish-and I use an applewood smoked thick bacon.

Steps:

• Flake codfish.
• Melt the butter, add flour and stir until well incorporated; add hot milk and pepper.
• Stir over medium heat until boiling.
• Add fish and beat well.
• Add beaten egg yolk and stir well.
• Serve at once.
• **Variation: Add 3 hard-cooked eggs, chopped, to the creamed fish before filling the potato shells. Add mashed potato, brush with melted butter and place under hot broiler until golden.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Place 2 tablespoons butter in a microwave-safe bowl; melt in microwave on high, about 30 seconds. Stir buttery round crackers into melted butter.
• Place remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a 7x11-inch baking dish. Melt in the preheated oven, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove dish from oven.
• Coat both sides of cod in melted butter in the baking dish.
• Bake cod in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Remove from oven; top with lemon juice, wine, and cracker mixture. Place back in oven and bake until fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork, about 10 more minutes.
• Garnish baked cod with parsley and green onion. Serve with lemon wedges.